Easier Dead Than Drawn

A Paint by Murder Mystery #3

Author:    Bailee Abbott

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    978168512639

Level Best Books

238 Pages

$16.95; $5.99 Amazon

May 7, 2024

⭐⭐⭐

When the town council hires Chloe Abbington's close friend, famous wall muralist Lana Easton, to paint a mural advertising the return of the floating amphitheater, not everyone in Whisper Cove is happy about the theater or Lana.  Naysayers think the noise from concerts and visitors will disrupt their quiet community.  It doesn't help that a lot of money taken from the town's budget is being used to pay the muralist for her services.  The mood turns even more grim when Lana is found dead, and since Chloe was there alone to discover her body, that makes her the prime suspect.

Before Chloe finds herself painted into a corner as the killer, she and sister Izzie hurry to solve the case and find the real criminal.  The suspect list grows to include Lana's boyfriend and her intern, as well as a couple of local residents.  The task is a tall order for the sisters, and it doesn't help that the detective on the case is someone who doesn't seem to care for Chloe or her interference.  Clues about Lana's past surface and point to more than one suspect.  the challenge will be to decide which one is the real killer.

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Chloe Abbington and her sister Izzie live with their parents in small town Whisper Cove, New York, near the finger lakes.  They own a paint-your-own shop and also do events, hoping to make enough money to expand a little.  

A man in town has brought the floating amphitheater back, and has just hired Chloe's muralist friend to paint it.  Lana Easton and Chloe were roommates in Paris, before Chloe decided to give up her art there and help her sister.  She's happy with her choice, but will having Lana here make her also have doubts?

Lama is accompanied by her boyfriend Nick, and employees Tate and Audrey, who each have their own skills.  Everything seems to be going nicely until one night while Chloe is going to pick up Lana for an evening out, hears a scream, and finds her lying dead below the art lift.  Now the lead detective on the case, Winsell, thinks Chloe, along with others, might be a viable suspect.  Chloe and her sister have no choice but to do a little investigating themselves, or Chloe might be looking at the inside of a jail cell instead of outside her shop window...

I read the first two books in this series and I enjoyed them very much.  But this one is a little different for some reason.  First, there is a huge issue with continuity.  Chloe was talking about an argument between two of the townspeople, and I thought I missed something, so went back to check.  But I found out the argument hadn't happened yet!  This is just one example, but I won't list the others.  There are also a lot of grammatical errors that should have been caught by an editor.  These things detracted from my enjoyment of the story.

Anyway, Chloe and her sister Izzie are trying to gather clues in between running their business, and it keeps them busy.  They have four main suspects of their own, but need to question them and weed through everything to get to the truth.  There are plenty of red herrings, and pointing to the actual killer isn't easy.  But in the end, it comes with unexpected help from someone to find out everything they want to know.  It's rather sad, but it all comes together nicely.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Easier-Dead-Than-Drawn-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0D15342M1/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6848916946

More on Bailee Abbott's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/bailee-abbott/

Cramped Quarters, Lethal Secrets (A Willow Oaks Inn Mystery #6)

Author:    Amerie Brand

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798338743973; 9798338741207

Clean Tales Publishing

174 Pages

$18.99; $9.99; $2.99 Amazon

September 12, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Norman Haskins thought the biggest challenge he'd face this summer would be overseeing the renovations of his beloved Willow Oaks Inn.  But when a routine repair turns into a nightmare after a dead body is discovered on the construction site, things take a sinister twist.  The victim? The bitter rival of the firm Norman hired to do the work.

As if dealing with a murder investigation wasn't enough, one of Norman's eccentric guests -- a notorious documentary filmmaker -- seizes the opportunity for attention, turning the quiet inn into a media circus.  With rumors swirling and secrets piling up, Norman is thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to destroy both his business and peace of mind.

With the help of his ever-loyal Border Collie, Milo, Norman must sift through a tangled web of lies, rivalries, and buried secrets to uncover the truth.  But the closer they get to the truth, the more dangerous the game becomes.  Can Norman solve the case before he becomes the next victim, or is a ruthless killer already one step ahead?

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Norman Haskins is expanding his Willow Oaks Inn to include a swimming pool, and some renovations of the rooms.  He's hired Monroe Construction to do the job, and the owner is an old school friend of his to boot.  Suddenly a man shows up in a battered truck and offers to renovate the rooms at a lower cost.  Norman tries to explain to him that he's already signed with Monroe, but the man, Andrew Reilly, insists, and won't let go.  Later that evening a motel guest walking her dog finds a dead body...and it turns out to be Andrew.

Then there's the documentary filmmaker who rented rooms -- he's dubbed the motel "Murder Motel" and films at every opportunity, but Norman wishes he'd just leave, knowing he's now going to be a bigger problem than he already is.

Since the dead man was found on the construction site, the owner's daughter, Olivia, insists on helping Norman ferret out the killer, especially since the filmmaker has named the two  of them as prime suspects and put it on the web.  So what can they do?  Just figure out who the killer is, and hope not to be the next two targets...

This is the latest installment in the Willow Oaks Inn mystery, and we once again have Norman in the middle of a murder investigation.  He's doing his best to keep his teenage son, Jason, out of the investigation, but a new part-time hire named Diane is disrupting things along the way, no matter how he tries to tell her to leave it alone.  Olivia has her own problems with her father who won't allow her to make decisions on her own, but this time she just isn't letting him know.

We see Norman butt heads again with Sheriff Bennett, although the interactions are mild; and of course, Norman's dog Milo is helping them sniff out clues.  When the ending comes and we discover the murderer, the reasons seem strange; but then again, killers never make any sense anyway.  It's an interesting tale that can be read in one evening.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Cramped-Quarters-Lethal-Secrets-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D872CWCF/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6841494506

More on Amerie Brand's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/amerie-brand/

Running Haunted

Author:    Effrosyni Moschoudi

Genre:     Romance

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798643411048

Independently Published

371 Pages

$14.24; $3.99 Amazon

May 5, 2020

⭐⭐⭐

Kelly Mellios is a stunning, athletic woman, who has learned -- the hard way -- to value herself.  Having just finished her first marathon in the alluring Greek town of Nafplio, she bumps into Alex, a gorgeous widower with three underage children, who is desperately looking for a housekeeper.

The timing seems perfect, seeing that Kelly aches to start a new life, and Nafplio seems like the ideal place to settle down.  She accepts the position on the spot, but little does she know that Alex's house has an extra inhabitant that not even the family knows about.

The house is haunted by Alex's late wife, who has unfinished business to tend to.  By using the family pet, a quirky pug named Charlie, the ghost is able to communicate with Kelly and asks her for help.  She claims she wants to ensure her loved ones are happy before she departs, but offers very little information about her plans.

Kelly freaks out at first, but gradually finds herself itching to help.  It is evident there's room for improvement in this family...Plus, her growing attraction towards Alex is overpowering.

Will Kelly do the ghost's bidding?  How will it affect her?  And just how strange is this pug?

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I have to be honest and say that I started to read this without reading the entire blurb.  Therefore, I didn't know it was a romance.  My fault.  I don't really care for romance too much, as there's always too much "lusting" for the male on the part of the female, and it really doesn't add to the story.  But oh, well.  Anyway, this book had that quality in it, so it took me a while to finish, which I try to do with all books I read (yet don't always succeed).

First off, I wondered about her giving the dog chocolate treats since chocolate can kill dogs.  That bothered me.  Then I wondered how quickly everyone bent to Kelly's will (a matter of a couple of days).  She had changed their diet and no one seemed to care.  Kids like sugar.  It's a given.  Yet not one peep, not even from the six-year-old.  I get that she wants everyone to eat healthy (I do).  But I can't even imagine what would happen if I wanted kids to go cold turkey on sugar instead of gradually moving it away from them.  Again, just my opinion.

I was disappointed in the ghost part, especially since most of it seemed to be in Kelly's head, and not an apparition at all until toward the end of the book.  I suppose romance lovers will enjoy this book, for myself, not so much.  I found the writing to be a bit simplistic, with everything coming together too easily for my taste.  I found it a bit on the boring side.  But again, that's just me.

The ending was stereotypical, with the expected love match made and the family happy together.  That's as it should be, and I don't think it's any spoiler to say so, as I won't give away any of the "ghostly" aspects of the book.  

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Haunted-romantic-comedy-Nafplio-ebook/dp/B0853CMP1V/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6831300400

More on Effrosyni Moschoudi's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Effrosyni-Moschoudi/author/B00I5JKMXS?ref

Hauntings and Homicide (A Ghost Tour Mystery #1)

Author:    Ava Burke

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639109289

Crooked Lane Books

272 Pages

$29.99; $14.99 Amazon

January 21, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lou Thatcher is haunted by ghosts -- friendly ghosts -- but when she finds herself involved in a murder investigation, she's in for the fright of a lifetime.

Tallulah "Lou" Thatcher has a gift: she can see dead people.  But in New Orleans, Louisiana, this is not a drawback.  On the contrary, her ability to see ghosts helps her host viral ghost tours through the historic Garden District.  When rival tour guide Adam Brandt -- who accused her of faking her encounters to undercut his business -- is found murdered, Lou is the only one who can see him...his ghost, that is.

It's no secret Adam and Lou were feuding and with the absence of a suspect, she's the only one with a clear motive.  After detective Dylan Finch, Lou's longtime crush, reveals the murder weapon was a ceremonial dagger from Lou's shop, she's officially declared the prime suspect.  Determined to prove her innocence, Lou starts investigating right away.

Weaving her way through Adam's business partnerships, friendships, and kinships, Lou must uncover who wishes to see him dead before the killer tries to silence her forever.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lou Thatcher hasn't had the most stable upbringing.  But she's finally living back with her beloved Nan, her grandmother, in New Orleans, where she spent the first nine years of her life.  Lou has always felt at home here, mainly because she has a gift -- she can see and communicate with ghosts.  So she's done the most natural thing she can -- she's started ghost tours, and her friendly spirits occasionally liven things up.

Unfortunately, this is what irritates rival tour guide Adam Brandt.  He's sure that Lou is using trickery to get customers, and he's determined to figure it out and expose her.  But one night when Lou is visiting one of her ghostly friends, she sees Adam across the street.  When she goes to confront him, he runs away.  But when she trips over something, it turns out to be Adam's body.  Now Adam, her erstwhile enemy, wants her to find out who killed him.  Lou really has no choice -- since the only other option seems to be that the police think she murdered Adam...

I have never read anything by Ms. Burke before, but I wish I had.  I love books with ghosts (friendly ones, that it), and this one definitely had me enamored throughout.  She writes with a supernatural flair, if you can call it that; one feels as if they are transported to New Orleans and visiting the spirits right along with her.

That's one of the many positives I can say about this book  It's enchanting, mysterious, and full of a plethora of suspects (even if the police seem to not notice anyone else).  Lou is trying to keep both herself and her business alive, while dodging those that want to do her harm.  Along with this, her Nan has hurt her arm, and her sixteen-year-old brother turns up on her doorstep looking for help.  Not even her live-in ghost Kenneth can do everything, though he tries.

Sifting through the people who wanted to do harm to Adam isn't easy, and the more Lou discovers, the more it disheartens her.  It doesn't help that she's had a major crush on the lead detective, who also happens to be the brother of her best friend.  Where will it all end?

But end it does, and the ending is just as surprising as the rest of the book.  I had no idea who the murderer was until nearly the end, and that's part of the charm of it all.  The red herrings are everywhere.  The clues are few and far between.  But it's one of the best reads that I've come across this year, and I would definitely hope others will think so, too.  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/Haunting-Homicide-Ava-Burke-ebook/dp/B0D2C54943/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6830322782

More on Ava Burke's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ava-burke/

Chaney's Baby

Author:    Bill Fleck

Genre:     Biography/Entertainment

Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9798450666204

Independently Published

226 Pages

$6.99; $2.99 Amazon

September 23, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

On April 22, 1948,noted horror film star Lon Chaney, Jr. (THE WOLF MAN) tries to commit suicide.  While his life hangs in the balance, his wife, attorney, and agent attempt damage control.  But the question remains: why would one of the more successful actors in Hollywood history -- aged only 42 -- try to take his own life?  Author and lifelong Chaney fan Bill Fleck believes he has the answer.  CHANEY'S BABY tells this heartbreaking story.

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As a lifelong classic movie fan (thanks to my Dad), I own thousands of them.  I don't even watch new movies.  They're just not as good.  But every Halloween season, I watch my beloved horror films, and how can you have that without Lon Chaney, Jr.?  In Chaney's Baby: Lon, Jr., The Wolf Man, 1948, and the End of a Dream, author Fleck gives us the background story of how Lon became one of Hollywood's finest horror stars, even though he didn't really want to be.

It's the story of Lon Chaney, Jr's signature Wolf Man, his baby if you will, and how he made the part his own.  I have seen all the Universal horror films countless times and own them all, and it is only the Wolf Man's story that is sad..  What people might not know -- beginning with Dracula and Frankenstein in 1931, and ending with House of Dracula in 1945, there is a story there.  I would urge you to watch them all in order.  In the beginning, The Wolf Man does not want his fate and only wants to die, making him a sympathetic creature as he tries over and over, but somehow survives; and his constant attempts to find either help or death is nonetheless sad, but I will not tell you the end of the tale.  Watch the films.  It's worth it.

Having said that, I must also add that this is a very sad book.  Born Creighton Tull Chaney, Lon had a rather sad childhood, never having a stable one until he was nine.  He never really felt that his father, famous silent actor Lon Chaney, loved him, and he struggled with this throughout his life.  When he became an actor he tried using his own name, but it wasn't until he changed it to "Lon, Jr." that he received acclaim.  It was his role as Lenny in Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men that those in Hollywood began to sit up and take notice.  Here was a tall, striking, dark-haired man who could act, and it was Universal who decided to put him to good use.

Chaney was happy at first, and enjoyed it.  But his personal life wasn't as happy; he had a failed marriage and two sons; however, his second marriage was happy, so he was at least given something in that.  But pain and insecurity followed him, and it shows in Mr. Fleck's writing.  I was actually depressed for Mr. Chaney throughout a lot of the book, but I knew some of his background so kept reading.

In the end we have book that tells the story of how Chaney came to be the Wolf Man, and his life in film afterward.  The book ends in 1948, but does tell us the rest of Mr. Chaney's life in brief.  The author has done a lot of research, and while the book is short, I would still recommend it to others who love reading about the actors in the Golden Age of Hollywood.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Chaneys-Baby-Wolf-1948-Dream-ebook/dp/B09GGZDZBJ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6823246092

Irish Soda Bread Murder

Authors:    Carlene O'Connor/Peggy Ehrhart/Liz Ireland

Genre:       Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496751089

Kensington Cozies

352 Pages

$27.00; $13.77 Amazon

December 24, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's almost time for the delicious warmth of Irish soda bread, but be careful where you bite -- some of these recipes call for murder in this delicious collection of cozy mystery novellas featuring the popular St. Paddy's Day treat.

IRISH SODA BREAD MURDER by CARLENE O'CONNOR

There's very little time left before her wedding, but nonetheless Tara Meehan is helping out at her Uncle Johnny's salvage mill for the day.  Aunt Rose set up a convention for local psychics, including a bake sale to raise money for charity, but now she's sick and available only via an iPad Johnny is carrying.  The event promises to deliver a real pot of gold until Rose's biggest rival shows up.  Before Tara can utter a simple "top o' the morning" to the man, he drops dead -- with Johnny's soda bread in his hands.  It's up to Tara to identify the deadly baker before another victim ends up chasing the rainbow straight into a grave...

AN IRISH RECIPE FOR MURDER by PEGGY EHRHART

To celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year, the Arborville, New Jersey, Advocate is sponsoring a soda bread-baking competition.  Bettina Fraser is excited -- her bake-off idea was the one to get the green light!  But when a town councilman acting as a judge keels over after sampling an entry, the party atmosphere dies just as quickly.  Now it's up to Bettina and her Knit and Nibble knitting club bestie, Pamela Paterson, to find the killer responsible for the murderous morsel. 

MRS. CLAUS AND THE SINISTER SODA BREAD MAN by LIZ IRELAND

When April Claus arrives in Cloudberry Bay, Oregon, to check on her flooded inn, her biggest worry is to keep everyone from realizing her three companions -- Jingles, Juniper, and Butterbean -- are elves.  But soon enough she has more serious worries -- it looks like her hapless caretaker Ernie has been storing stolen goods at the inn!  The none of Ernie's shady pals is found dead, and the murder weapon turns up in a decorative loaf of soda bread at April's craft fair booth.  It's up to April to uncover the killer before she spends St. Patrick's Day in the county jail!

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This is an anthology of short novellas by three authors who are fairly well-known in the cozy world.  (And if you don't, you should pick up on of their other books!)  Of course, we all have our favorites, but I do love anthologies as you can finish them very quickly and they are interesting.  That is, if they are done well, which these three certainly are.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Irish Soda Bread Murder:  When Tara Meehan moved from the states to Ireland to scatter her mother's ashes, she discovered her Uncle Johnny, who owns a salvage mill and welcomed her into his life.  Since then, she's been running a successful business and has acquired a fiancé as well.  On this day, though, there is going to be a psychic fair that will benefit charity.  There is also a bake sale, and since her Aunt Rose is ill, it was up to Johnny to bake the soda bread.  But all is not well when the first person to try the bread -- another psychic, Ronan Stone, eats it and is found dead.  Now everyone present is a suspect, and it's up to Tara to find the killer, as the police are stumped.  

This is a very good mystery.  With all the psychics as suspect, and all seem to have motives, including Rose, Tara needs to find out who hated Ronan enough to kill him.  She listens in to the police interviews to gather clues, and then has a chance to figure it out later in the night, with everyone present.  The murderer was well hidden, and I didn't figure it out until Tara did.  A worthy read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐An Irish Recipe For Murder:  When Bettina and Pamela are at a soda bread bake-off, it doesn't last long.  The man tasting the bread falls over ill from the first bread offered.  He later dies, and the woman who baked it is riddled with guilt.  But is she a killer?  Neither Bettina nor Pamela think so, and they must put their heads together to figure it out.

A good mystery.  I have read all the books in the original series, and enjoyed them.  This addition is enjoyable as well.  I have my own issues with Pamela, but it did not color my enjoyment of this.  The clues are hidden well, and the murderer was a complete surprise.  This was the best part, as figuring it out wasn't easy, and the reason for the murder was rather sad.  Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man:  When April Claus is called away early from the North Pole to her inn in Oregon, it's due to a broken pipe that has leaked everywhere.  When she arrives with three of her elves, not only is there water everywhere, but a foul smell no one can figure out.  Also, her caretaker Ernie seems to be missing.  Since her main goal is to keep the elves from being recognized, she's surprised when people liken them to leprechauns and want them to appear in their St. Paddy's day parade.  With that solved, there's a new riddle: who sent her a text, and why is there a dead body inside her front door?

Although I'm not big on fantasy, I really enjoyed this story.  The elves bring a little laughter to the tale, and April is up to her ears in both getting her inn ready for summer and trying to figure out who killed the man.  It doesn't help that her local nemesis is making her life miserable as well.  But when the ending comes, it's all that one would desire, with a nice resolution to everything, and another story well worth reading.  Recommended.

In the end, I enjoyed all three tales and these are perfect for St. Patrick's Day stories.  I would definitely recommend them to others.  

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

https://www.amazon.com/Irish-Bread-Murder-Carlene-OConnor-ebook/dp/B0CZGHNYY7/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6813348226

More on Carlene O'Connor's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/o/carlene-oconnor/

More on Peggy Ehrhart's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/peggy-ehrhart/

More on Liz Ireland's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/i/liz-ireland/