Sugar and Spite

A Witch City Mystery Book 15

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

(Audio CD and Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:     9781496743688

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$8.99; $7.99 Amazon

October 28, 2025

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There's no place like Salem, Massachusetts -- aka "the witch city" -- for Halloween.  As residents embrace their historic heritage to celebrate the season, WICH-TV program director Lee Barrett is assigned the decadent task of highlighting the village's delectable sweet shops -- only to learn that some revelers prefer deadly tricks over delicious treats...

Casa del Chocolate is one of Salem's most charming boutique candy shops, making it a perfect profile story.  Although preoccupied with her own personal sweet news -- Lee and her detective husband Pete Mondello are expecting a bundle of joy -- she cheerfully agrees to interview the chocolatier.  Since becoming pregnant, the radiant and exhilarated mother-to-be has discovered that she is finally free of the unwanted haunting "visions" she has endured since childhood.

Shirley Parker inherited Casa de Chocolate, housed in her beautiful ancestral home on the waterfront, continuing her family's sweet tradition of conjuring magical treats for the folks of Salem.  Mesmerized by the delightful chocolate scented aromas filling the air while touring the kitchen, Lee is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Barney Bingham, Shirley's estranged husband.

As the police focus their suspicions on Shirley, Lee learns that many people had reasons for wanting Barney dead.  Now, with help from Pete, tarot reader River North, and clairvoyant gentleman cat O'Ryan, as well as some new feline friends, Lee must unmask the true killer -- and cope with the sudden return of her troubling "visions"...

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Lee Barrett Mondello is the program director for WICH-TV in Salem, Massachusetts.  Although she's had to cut back on her time and duties due to the fact that she and her husband are expecting their first child.  When she's given an assignment to cover the candy shops in Salem, it's one she can sink her teeth into -- literally.  So when she sees that a shop named Casa de Chocolate has opened up, she naturally wants to interview them.

Casa de Chocolate is housed in an historic mansion owned by Shirley Parker, who greets Lee, ready for the interview.  When Lee is given an opportunity to see the shop's inner workings in the basement, she's more than ready.  But what she's not ready for is the dead body she comes across.  The dead body that happens to be the ex-husband of Shirley.  

When Lee's husband Pete starts investigating, he discovers that Bingham had more than his share of enemies..but which one was willing to kill him?  With no clues and a missing murder weapon, it may take longer to solve this case than it will for Lee to have her baby.  

Pete wants Lee to stay out of this case, and she has every intention to do so, since she has a couple of baby showers to look forward to; and of course, all those sweet shops to visit and sample.  But when it seems someone is stalking Lee, she begins to worry.  So does Pete.  Will she be able to stay of this case and stay safe?  Or is someone going to make sure she's never involved in any murder mystery again...

This is the fifteenth book in the series, and I must say that I enjoyed it very much.  I love the characters in this series, and the fact that Lee has a "partner in crime" in her husband, who understands about her visions and accepts them because he loves her.

There is a lot going on here, and the two plots are intertwined nicely.  While Lee is mainly sidelined from investigating, she does her own, but makes sure she's not on her own entirely.  With a little one on the way, she needs to be careful.

The descriptions of autumn in Salem are also nice, although a bit sparse, as the action is centered on the dead man, which is how it should be.  I loved the fact that this book made me actually look for the killer along with Lee, and didn't make it too easy to do so.

When the ending comes, we figure it out almost at the same time as our protagonist, and that's the best way to do it.  It's an intriguing climax, and I enjoyed it immensely.  I love Ms. Perry's books and this one fits right in, being written well with a terrific plot.  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/Sugar-Spite-Witch-City-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DX4Z7C7G/ref=

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7659417502

More on Carol J. Perry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/carol-j-perry/

A Tint of Murder

A Paint By Murder Mystery Book 4

Author:    Bailee Abbott

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781685129471

Level Best Books

254 Pages

$16.95; $5.99 Amazon

April 29, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Trouble is stirring when murder comes wrapped in the guise of a seascape painting.  The gift from a close friend who deals in art becomes a mystery to solve after Izzie and Chloe Abbington accidentally discover that hidden behind the seascape is a priceless Vermeer which many would kill to possess.  When the seascape with its hidden masterpiece is stolen, and a murder hits too close to home, their friend is accused of the crime.

Determined to help clear his name, Chloe and Izzie follow the clues, which take them beyond the comforts of their small town community and into the art world's unsavory side.  However, the more they learn, the more guilty their friend looks.  They question many involved, both dealers and collectors, as well as the patrons of the arts group their parents belong to, but everyone has their secrets.  Even the seascape has a story to tell, if only the sister duo can decipher the details.  Troubles and frightened of what they'll uncover, Chloe and Izzie won't stop searching for answers, even if the killer turns out to be someone they know.

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Sisters Chloe and Izzie Abbington own a paint party shop, and they're finally (slightly) in the black.  They live at home with their parents, and are fairly happy with their lives.  But one day a crate arrives for Izzie, and it contains a painting of a seascape, which is nice, but not wonderful.  They don't know why Izzie's friend Martin has asked them to take it to storage, but they are willing to do so.  At least, until they accidentally discover another painting underneath -- and this one is a Vermeer, and rare.  At first they think it is a fake, but later on discover the painting is real...especially when Martin disappears and it appears someone is after the painting.

They take it to storage, but it doesn't end there.  A murder occurs, and the police think Martin is guilty.  Determined to prove her friend innocent, Izzie asks Chloe's help.  It doesn't hurt that Chloe's boyfriend Hunter is a police detective, who just might have information of his own.  But with the police chief determined to convict Martin in order to appease the powerful father of the dead person, the women have to work fast...and hope they can avoid a killer in the process...

This is the fourth book in the series, and I have read them all.  I have also enjoyed them all, but I do think that this one is my favorite so far.  It had plenty going on throughout the book, with a few red herrings thrown in, and several clues that lead to the true murderer.  But they are not as easy to find as one might think, which is a good thing.  There is nothing so boring as knowing the killer almost immediately and then having to slog through a book to find the why.

The why is given nearly immediately -- the painting -- but the who and the reasons for it are not.  This makes it a fun cozy, and along the way we get glimpses of Izzie and Chloe's personal lives and that of their parents; and even those of their friends.

In the end, when it all comes together, it is almost an accident how they discover the truth, and the epilogue to the story is comforting, to say the least.  You cannot know the mind of a killer, and nor would I want to, but this cozy is definitely that, and I would recommend it to others.

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

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F56T46FM?tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7641286951

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

Whatever Happened To Baby Peggy?

The Autobiography of Hollywood's Pioneer Child Star

Author:    Diana Serra Cary

Genre:     Autobiography/Nonfiction

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780312147600

First Edition

552 Pages

$29.88; $9.99 Amazon

August 26, 2016

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Long before Shirley Temple's curls bounced their way into America's heart, Baby Peggy lit up marquee from coast to coast.  She was the original child star produced by Hollywood and her amazing journey set the pattern for all those who followed.

Discovered when she was only nineteen months old, Baby Peggy with her angelic face and expert mugging for the camera entertained audiences across the nation and around the world.  She starred in a series of short two-reel comedies, completing 150 of them by the time she turned three.  By her fifth birthday, Baby Peggy's films were earning as much as Charlie Chaplin's, and she herself was a millionaire, having signed a three-film $3.5 million contract.

Establishing a disgraceful tradition for the parents of child performers, Baby Peggy's mother and father, emotional children themselves, squandered her fortune.

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Long before there was superstar child actress Shirley Temple, there was one that came before her, almost a hundred years ago.  Her name was Baby Peggy, and she made 150 films for various movie studios.  However, unlike Shirley Temple, who always played her age in films (and what endeared her to millions of viewers), Baby Peggy often played "grownups"; she would act in films that portrayed her as a miniature person, complete with period dress.

Which is not to say millions didn't adore her also; they did.  But I am saying that you cannot compare the two in regard to movies.  They were very different, and many other child actors have come and gone along the way.

I had never heard of Baby Peggy, but I wanted to know more about her.  I love classic films and own thousands of them.  But I own not as many silent films, which is what this little girl made.  Sadly, most of her films have been destroyed, and I have only been able to see Captain January, which is one of her final ones.  She did have acting ability, and it was because, according to her own writing, she could take direction and basically film anything in one take.

Having said that, I will say that this book was rather depressing to me.  Beginning acting at nineteen months, her father became her manager and she wasn't allowed to have a childhood.  Her older sister, Louise, was denied things that Peggy was denied, for that reason alone.  This caused a rift between the sisters that lasted until later adulthood.

Her father was a spendthrift, and the minute he realized Peggy could support them, he quit his own job (such as it was) and refused to allow his wife to have anything to do with Peggy's making movies.  He spent the money quickly, and unfortunately, allowed someone to manage some of it who had no business doing so in the first place.

Without child protection laws in place (which were added because of child actor Jackie Coogan and his actions), they could do what they wanted with her money, which they promptly did.  It appears Peggy did not have a very happy life, and in later years changed her name to Diana.

She did have a happy second marriage, which was a good thing, but reading this I felt that it was more cathartic for this late little actress, and that life could have treated her better.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Ever-Happened-Baby-Peggy/dp/0312147600/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7599851313

More on Diana Serra Cary's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Diana-Serra-Cary/author/B001HN15H6?ref

O Deadly Night

 A Year-Round Christmas Mystery Book 8

Author:    Vicki Delany

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9788892421874

Crooked Lane Books

320 Pages

$29.99; $14.99 Amazon

October 14, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's Christmastime in Rudolph, New York, which means it's time for the December Santa Claus parade.  This year, shop owner Merry Wilkinson has decided to decorate her float as Santa's elves' workshop and invites her landlady, Mabel D'Angelo, to help supervise the excited children playing the elves.  But when Mrs. D'Angelo doesn't show up, Merry begins to worry.

Worry quickly turns unto frustration when Mrs. D'Angelo reveals she was delayed by new neighbors moving in.  As the center for all things gossip, Mrs. D'Angelo is determined to introduce the new arrivals to the neighborhood.  As the days pass, Mrs. D'Angelo notices strange things about the newcomers, but Merry, busier than an elf in Santa's workshop, has little time for matters that don't really concern her.  But things turn from jolly to downright concerning when Mrs. D'Angelo disappears, and Merry is forced to admit that something might be entirely wrong. 

With family and friends counting on her during this stressful holiday season, it is up to Merry to make sure this Christmas doesn't end up wrapped in blood red.

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Merry Wilkinson lives in Rudolph, New York and owns a gift store that sells Santa-themed items all year round.  The town is as Christmasy as it gets, especially this time of year.  When Merry is preparing her annual Christmas float, she expects her landlady, Mrs. Mabel D'Angelo, to show up as one of the elves, but she doesn't.  When she learns the reason why -- Mrs. D'Angelo, a gossip center, is trying to introduce herself to the new neighbors, but isn't having any luck.  As the days go on, Mabel sees that there is something going on across the street, but can't put her finger on it.  Merry, used to Mabel and her fancies, blows most of it off.  But when Mabel disappears and no one can find her, Merry begins to worry.

When she does find Mabel, it's across the street -- and Merry also finds a dead body.  It turns out that the dead person had a connection to the town and several of its residents, including Merry's younger sister, Eve.  But does Eve know anything about the murder?  As Merry starts to dig deeper, she finds that the dead woman had more than a connection with the town, and her past wasn't pretty.  In fact, it was ugly enough that someone wanted her dead...

I love this series, and most of the characters in it (yes, there are some that get on my nerves, just as in real life they would do so); and I especially love Merry's father.  He seems unflappable, and remains calm in most, if not all, situations.  Unfortunately, at least in this book, her boyfriend Alan appears just as an afterthought, he's in it so little.  I hope to see more of him in the next book.

But back to Merry's sleuthing: she's right at home doing what she does best, and we get to see her at work while she's searching for clues.  She's even misled at one time, but eventually figures it out, which is important.  This is the busiest time of year, and trying to run her business and find a murderer (not that the police detective isn't capable herself) is a lot to handle.  Yet she does so, and does it well.

I knew the murderer before Merry did, but then again, I read a lot of mysteries, so that's something.  Even so, watching her put the clues together and figure it out herself is worth it, especially watching how her best friend helped her!  All in all, this was a great cozy to read, and I enjoyed it immensely.  I look forward to the next in the series.  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/Deadly-Night-Year-Round-Christmas-Mystery/dp/B0DT3VY4ZD/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7618795116

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