A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle

A Food and Spirits Mystery Book 2

Author:    Darci Hannah

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496747471

Kensington Cozies

320 Pages

$27.00; $12.99 Amazon

January 27, 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When chef Bridget "Bunny" MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought "spirits" meant cocktails.  Instead, she's cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear.  And to her surprise, she's discovered abilities to connect with the beyond -- and crack murder cases...

Now that Bunny's entrees come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who's friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle.  During Bunny's childhood she heard all about Dundoon's bloody history and the "ghostly piper" who roamed the grounds -- and soon she'll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars.  The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper's honor will make for some good footage as well.

After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb roast with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt.  But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch.  The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe...and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide -- and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Bridget "Bunny" MacBride is a chef who got herself in a pickle when she accepted a job in a new show, "Food & Spirits".  She thought it was about food and cocktails, but it seems the 'spirits' is actually about contacting ghosts.  After a first successful show, she's on to the next one, in her hometown in Scotland.  She realizes she needs to tell her mother about her newly-discovered ability to connect with those on the other side -- along with the help of her white rabbit, Hopper; who passed many years ago -- and that of her late brother.  But even knowing this, she's not looking forward to the newest project.

She and her co-stars and crew arrive at Dundoon Castle ready to set out a meal for a revered piper: that of a piper who died centuries ago protecting his master.  The show coincides with a piping contest on the grounds, one that has been held for decades.  At least the pipers are supposed to end at 8pm, allowing them to get some rest.  But it doesn't turn out that way...

When they are traversing the grounds one night searching for a piper who obviously wasn't given the news, they follow the sound.  Unfortunately, it leads them to a very dead man on the ground below.  But while it appears to have been an accident, Bunny and her co-star Brett think it was murder.  Following her intuition, and with the help of Brett they are determined to find the truth...even if it leads them both into deadly trouble...

This is the second book in the series, and I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the first.  I do like paranormal mysteries (to an extent), and especially those written like this one.  The characters are all interesting, and seeing Bunny in her own familiar surroundings is enjoyable.  She interacts with her family, and you learn more about her past.

I, for one, do enjoy the sound of pipers, (if it's done right), probably leading me into the minority! Although it seems many of the characters do not; still, they are investigating a murder and are willing to dig deep to find a killer among their midst.  It brings them in touch with some unsavory characters (to say the least), and gives them an even stranger mystery to uncover while they're at it.

Without saying more about about the book in order as to not spoil it for others, I will say that the climax was one of the most intriguing and enjoyable that I have read.  There is plenty going on in this book, and if you miss the clues, you will miss the person who murdered the poor man.  The ending was both done well and a bit bittersweet, but worth it; giving us even more to look forward to in the next book.  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/Spirited-Supper-Dundoon-Spirits-Mystery/dp/149674747X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7948721545

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

Fudge and Felonies

 Frosted Misfortunes Book 2

Author:    Lisa Siefert

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781965640470

Tule Publishing

244 Pages

$10.99; $4.99 Amazon

March 10, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

She just wants to share her delicious sweets.  But a sticky surprise has this amateur detective dusting off her snooping skills

Bakery owner Ava Decker is determined to put being dumped at the altar behind her.  But her ambitions sour when her chocolatey cupcakes end up beside a beauty pageant contestant's lifeless body.  And when her good friend is accused of the crime, Ava throws herself into the mix to clear both their names.

With a dash of help from her cute kitten sidekick, the pastry chef-turned-sleuth dives into the beauty queen scene to find out why a weight-loss fanatic would be found dead next to sugary goodness.  But with few clues and her hands messy with a full lineup of suspects.  She struggles to follow the trail of crumbs to the real tiara-obsessed killer.

Can Ava crown the culprit before the plate of evidence is wiped clean?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Ava Decker lives in small town Clover Creek, Maine and owns a bakery that specializes in filled cupcakes.  There is a beauty pageant in town, and it's a big deal, being the first one.  Ava is selling her cupcakes out of her bakery truck when her high school nemesis Brittany gives her back-handed compliments, which Ava is trying to roll off her back.  But they sting anyway.  When Ava's kitten Lucky grabs one of Brittany's red ribbons, she throws a fit until Ava offers her a box of cupcakes.  Brittany is nothing if not smug, and accepts them.

Ava then meets the sponsor of the pageant -- tech billionaire Marcus Palmer, and she's sort of smitten with the man, even though she won't admit it to her best friend Ruby.  When Marcus suggests they meet to watch the fireworks, Ava agrees, and heads out toward the lake.  But on the way she notices one of her signature boxes sitting in the woods...next to Brittany's dead body.

Things get worse when Ava discovers that her recent crush Detective Wesley Lockwood was dating Brittany, and now he's the main suspect in her murder.  Ava is nothing if not fiercely loyal to friends, and she's determined to help solve the murder, even if Wesley tells her to let the police do their job.

When she starts digging into the murder, she finds an unlikely ally in her investigation, and soon discovers that all things are not what they seem...

This is the second book in the series and I quite enjoyed it as much as the first.  It was lively, full of action, and the characters are believable and have their own quirks, which only makes this series more endearing.  I loved the plot line and the subplots both.  I really like Ava and Ruby, and we get a little more background on Ruby's family in this book, which is nice.

When the ending comes and everything is gathered together, the murderer was a bit of a surprise, which is also nice.  There was an interesting climax, and the addition of new characters which can only bring more depth to the series.  I enjoy these books and can't wait to read the next.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Fudge-Felonies-Frosted-Misfortunes-Mysteries/dp/1965640478/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7915729699

More on Lisa Siefert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/lisa-siefert/

The Happy Housekeeper's Guide to Arson (A Barbara Hollis Murder Mystery #2)

Author:    Blythe Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798875742859

Independently Published

242 Pages

$12.99 Amazon

January 15, 2024

⭐⭐⭐

Suspicion.  Lies.  Murder.  Barbara Hollis didn't expect to encounter any of these in small town life.  With a murky past to hide from, moving to quiet little Cobbsville was supposed to be a perfect escape.  But a neighbor who has her own dangerous secret to conceal soon becomes as big a threat as the crazed lunatic who is setting fire to houses around town...

Even as a terrible new doubt surfaces against her brother, Barbara is intrigued by an attractive new acquaintance who happens to be the local mayor.  But will one more distraction prove welcome...or deadly?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Barbara Hollis left the big city to move back home and live with her widowed brother, taking care of his twelve-year-old twins and keep house.  Her past is behind her, and she's looking forward to a new future.  Unfortunately, she's already been involved in one murder, and wants to forget it.  But when she is running errands one day she comes upon a burning house, and with the owner being taken to the hospital, her inquisitive nature wonders if it's not arson.  While the fire department deems it an accident, she's not so sure...

She also meets the handsome mayor, who seems to take a liking to her, and asks her out.  But there are problems with their date, and she's not sure about the man, even though her brother, the police chief, warns her away.  She's an adult, right?  Also, what was her neighbor doing in the middle of the night?  Barbara finds it suspicious, but doesn't know how to ask her without seeming to be prying (which she would be).

Who knew there would be so many questions in a sleepy town like Cobbsville?  Not Barbara...

This is the second book in the series, and I really enjoyed the first one.  This one, not so much.  There were too many unanswered questions, and I also would really like to know why she left Liberty City.  There's not even a hint of why anywhere in these first two books.

Saying that, I found that the issues with her neighbor added nothing to the story except to fill pages.  They had nothing to do with the murder, so why was it in there?  Same as with her dating.  Because of this, we were given less to think about with the arson, and the ending seemed like it was thrown in to finish the story.

Still, I will read the next in the series to see if any of this goes anywhere -- and if we learn anything about why she moved back home.

https://www.amazon.com/Housekeepers-Barbara-Hollis-Murder-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CQZCZG75/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6576962341

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

Death at an Irish Wedding (An Irish Castle Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Ellie Brannigan

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639109210

Crooked Lane Books

288 Pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

December 10, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rayne McGrath's efforts to save the rundown family castle she inherited were an epic failure after she accidentally set fire to the tower and tanked the budget.  Is the castle haunted, or is she just unlucky?  Meanwhile, her cousin, Ciara Smith, is anxiously booking their joint calendar with special events in the hopes of brining the property around before they lose everything.

When a bridalwear client from LA asks Rayne for help as her guest list spirals out of control, Rayne nabs the answer to her prayers.  McGrath Castle is the perfect destination for the exclusive and intimate wedding party of heiress Tori Montgomery and her fiancé, heartthrob actor Jake Anderson.  But this white veil occasion turns into a nightmare when Tori's best friend's assistant, Tiffany Quick, is found dead.

It's feared Tiffany jumped from the tower, but that theory is quickly put in doubt as secrets within the wedding part come to light.  And as the villagers protest this new wedding venue venture, Rayne begins to wonder if she will succeed in her endeavor or lose it all. 

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Rayne McGrath moved to Ireland from LA after her a) boyfriend Landon stole all her money and gowns from her Rodeo Drive wedding gown business; and b) her Uncle Nevin passed and left her his estate -- including a run-down castle that she has a year to make into a profitable endeavor or lose everything and be swallowed up by a neighboring shire.  With the help of her cousin Ciara, she's working on doing so, hoping that the wedding scheduled with heiress Tori Montgomery and actor Jake Anderson will bring in the needed funds to get them through for awhile.

But almost immediately things begin to go wrong, and when Tori's friend Amy's assistant Tiffany is found dead on the castle grounds, she wonders if maybe the stars are against her.  At first everyone thinks Tiffany jumped due to unsettling news, but Rayne and Ciara soon find out from the garda that it's murder.  Not being able to tell anyone, they try and continue with the wedding plans, get past the glitches, and hope for the best.  But the issues don't stop.  Even with the accidents unfolding, Tori wants her wedding to go forward, and all Rayne can do is try and make it happen.  Even if it kills her...

This is the second in the series, and I was just as enchanted as I was with the first.  Rayne is settling in her new life as lady of the manor (although she won't use the name); hoping that her cousin will see eye-to-eye with her on improving things.  Unfortunately, when the celebrity wedding was scheduled, Rayne didn't think it would be such a nightmare.  Really a nightmare.  A diva bride (and maid of honor), surly assistants, a constantly drunken member of the entourage, and, at least, the wealthy and decent parents of the bride -- who will do anything for their daughter's happiness. 

When the murder occurs, Rayne needs to keep it under her hat, which isn't easy, since one of the guests is a killer.  Or is it one of her new hires on the farm?  All Rayne knows is that a murderer is in their midst, and needs to be found before the weekend is up and the guests leave.  Things begin to go even more awry when there are several 'accidents' and suddenly Garda Dominic needs Rayne's help in finding out who's at fault.  

When the ending comes and everything fits together, we see that the clues were there: I had a bit of a hunch toward the beginning, glad I was right, and even more, glad I read this book.  The reason for murder is very sad indeed, and no excusing the crime.  But the book gives you clues throughout, a few red herrings, a misdirection, and a wonderful ending.  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/Death-Irish-Wedding-Castle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CW1CSS1W/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6575760940

More on Ellie Brannigan's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/ellie-brannigan/

Death at a Scottish Wedding (A Scottish Isle Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Lucy Connelly

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639105410

Crooked Lane Books

272 Pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

January 9, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Finally feeling like Sea Isle , Scotland is becoming her new home, American doctor Emilia McRoy is delighted when she is invited to a wedding at Morrigan's Castle.  Her friends have warned her that it's a three-day party and it's bound to get wild, not to mention the impending snowstorm.  Constable Ewan Campbell, owner of the castle, ensures their safety with the blizzard.  What he doesn't ensure, is that all of his guests would survive the night alive.  When Emilia explores the impressive castle, she finds a dead man in one of the turrets.

The snowstorm hits and the local police can't reach the castle until it lets up.  With no one able to leave, the family insists they carry on with the wedding, which makes Emilia's job as the coroner a bit easier -- the suspects are in one place -- and complicated because the killer has Emilia in his sights.  The fact no one claims to know the victim isn't helping.  Why would someone no one knows be murdered at a castle in the middle of nowhere?

It's up to Emilia to uncover the mystery who the victim is, so the killer doesn't get away Scot free.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Dr. Emilia McRoy is an American transplant to Scotland.  She's accepted the position of Sea Isle's doctor and coroner.  However, when she's invited to a wedding at an historical castle, she doesn't expect to have to do either job.  It's a good thing her assistant Abigail keeps her traveling medical kit ready, because Dr. McRoy was wrong on both counts.

When she sees what she suspects is a murder, no one believes her.  At least until she finds a dead body in one of the turrets.  Now Constable Ewan Campbell knows there's a killer in their midst.  When a major snowstorm hits, everyone is trapped -- with the killer, no less.

After finally identifying the body, no one can figure why the dead man was there.  He wasn't an invited guest, but he did know several of those in attendance.  When the bride begins having "accidents" Emilia vows to keep an eye on her to find out who is trying to kill her.  But how can she do that without telling the guests someone was murdered?

Then the attacks escalate, and Emilia is now in the crosshairs.  She'll need to move fast if she wants to save the wedding, and more so, if she wants to save her own life...

This is the second book in the series and I am sad to say that I have not read the first.  But I plan to remedy that soon.  Ms. Connelly is a talented storyteller, and she writes with aplomb, bringing you into the Gothic atmosphere of an historical castle.  It makes one feel as if they are in Scotland, enjoying the festivities with the guests, although I'm not too sure about having to avoid a killer!

Once you begin reading, it is difficult to put this book down.  The tale weaves through the castle like a tapestry on the wall, bringing the threads together one by one and twisting them into a convoluted story of greed and revenge.  Of course, since those are two of the most ancient reasons for murder, they blend together well.

When we come to discovering the murderer and the reason why, it is almost too late for Emilia, but I loved how she managed to free herself (as we know she must since she is our protagonist) and give us a satisfactory ending to the murder.

In the epilogue, we have all that it should be and gives us a reason to read the next book, which I look forward to.  Highly recommended.

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

ttps://www.amazon.com/Death-Scottish-Wedding-Isle-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0C1YC143B/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5750751121

More on Lucy Connelly's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lucy-connelly/

A Case of Senior Scandals (Willow Cove Mysteries Book 2)

Author:    Lily Rose Lane

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0bTD8TNYP

Whiskered Mysteries

177 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

February 28, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm Aubrey Rose, and after solving a decades long cold case in Willow Cove, I was ready to hang up my amateur detective hat.

But when Willow Cove's oldest and most revered resident, Edith Thomas, is found dead -- everyone is suddenly looking to me for answers.

I didn't plan on getting involved, but how can I say no when even Edith's son is asking for my help?

Now, I need to discover who would want to kill a sweet little lady whose worst offense was baking deliciously addictive chocolate chip muffins.

With handyman Gavin and his terrier sidekick at my side, we'll need to dig into Edith's past and discover if this lovely senior had any scandals in her past.

Ones that could lead to deadly consequences...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Aubrey Rose returned home to Willow Cove after her disastrous marriage broke up, only to find herself as part owner of her mother's B&B.  Now she's helping to run the place along with their handyman Gavin, who seems to have a personal interest in Aubrey.  One she's not unhappy about.  After both of them solve a decades-old murder, they're happy just to rest and go about their daily lives.

But when elderly Edith Thomas is found stabbed to death, her friends and relatives want them to help solve the murder.  Even though they are reluctant to do so, Aubrey and Gavin find themselves drawn into the investigation -- and they have to keep it hidden from Police Chief Dobbs, who wants them to stay out of it.  But with people coming to them with their own suspicions, they don't have much choice -- and it also gives them time to figure out where their relationship is going...

This is the second book in the series and I was glad to revisit Aubrey and the others in small town Willow Cove.  This time there's a festival coming up, and Aubrey's momma thinks no one will want to stay at the B&B because of the bones found there recently.  Aubrey and Gavin want to know who killed Edith, and why.  There are rumors around town of Edith's past, and even though they don't seem likely, they discover that there are a lot of things about Edith that they didn't know.  Things that send them to the internet, and talking to people to get answers.  

But when they encounter a shady person in town, they think this might be the murderer.  Or are they?  Watching Aubrey try to decipher clues and also decipher where things are going with Gavin is interesting enough to keep one reading the book in one sitting.  It's a fun and cozy book, and the characters are endearing as well.  

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed, it was a big of a surprise, but put together nicely, and believable as well.  Without saying anything else about the book, I urge you to read it as it was indeed worth the time.  Recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Case-Senior-Scandals-Willow-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0BTD8TNYP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5387581937

Book Club Bloodshed (A Missy DeMeanor Cozy Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Brianna Bates

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B019XDXDEY

Independently Published

190 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

January 15, 2016

⭐⭐⭐

Oh, no!  Not a self-published cozy as a book club selection!  So thinks snarky Anne, the snottiest member of the contentious book club author Brianna Bates has so slyly created.  Member Noreen feels -- really strongly! -- that Anne's a big old rich-witch snob.  But seriously -- is that a motive for murder?

It has to be asked!  Because Anne's lying dead in the library parking lot, only minutes after she and Noreen nearly come to blows over the value of "literature" over "genre."  A nasty catfight if you were there -- but as yummy as the club's favorite Pinot Grigio if you're lucky enough to be reading about it!

The timing's unfortunate, but maybe it's not the only motive for murder.  It seems Anne had more or less gone out of her way to offend every single woman in the book club.  She had stolen someone's boyfriend and married him, bought land another wanted, and fired a third member's brother.  The kind of woman whose every cashmere sweater has a target on it.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

All Missy DeMeanor wants to do is get through the book club's choice of book and have a nice discussion.  Unfortunately, that's not going to be possible.  Member Anne Baxter is having a nasty argument with Missy's best friend Noreen, and neither one is willing to give an inch.  Finally, a time-out is called, and the two go their separate ways.  But when book club once again resumes, Anne is nowhere to be found...until one of her own friends finds her dead behind the library.  Now, Noreen doesn't have a solid alibi, and when she's arrested for the murder of the woman, Missy has no choice but to find the real killer...

This is the second book in the series, and since these are easy, quick reads, I wanted to continue.  What I was bothered with was the fact that after Missy finds out Noreen slept with Ty -- even though the two were broken up at the time -- Missy just forgave her.  Didn't Noreen know how Missy felt about Ty?  Of course she did -- and still made the decision to date him.  Really?  Best friends do NOT do that to each other.  I would have not helped Noreen, ghosted Ty, and written them both off.  No one needs friends like this.  A good friend cares about your feelings.  Sorry, but that seemed off.

The second thing was I really didn't think that the police had enough to charge Noreen, and trials don't work that fast.  Sometimes it takes months to get into a courtroom.  So she still should have been sitting in jail.  Sorry, that didn't ring true, either.  (I know it's a book, but please, do research).

The fact that Missy would just leave her job to look for a killer was not right.  She had the responsibility after Brett asked her, and she should have taken it seriously.  It seems that she's looking at the bookstore as just a hobby instead of a job.  Either you have responsibility or you don't.  Period.

If Missy is bothered by her weight, she needs to stop complaining and do something about it.  "Get out of the way, you whale!"  Really?  How big is Missy?  'Voluptuous' implies Sophia Loren, who is far from fat.  So which is it?  It got old after awhile.

So you can see that this was not a popular entry to the series for me.  However, as the book touted repeatedly, an independently published book does have value (and I do read as many of them as those by the big name publishers) and none should be panned without thinking about it.  So I have rated this accordingly.

I did like the plot line, I liked the fact that Missy is fiercely loyal to her friends, and has a good relationship with her mother.  I knew who the killer was before she did, but then again, I read a lot of mysteries, so there's that.  I liked the ending, and since I've started the series, I will continue to finish it.

https://www.amazon.com/Book-Club-Bloodshed-DeMeanor-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B019XDXDEY/ref

Goodreads:      https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4796575244

More on Brianna Bates's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/brianna-bates/

Peril at Pennington Manor (An Avery Ayers Antique Mystery #2)

Author:    Tracy Gardner

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643859064

Crooked Lane Books

304 Pages

$26.52; $13.99 Amazon

June 7, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Aunt Midge's unlikely friendship with Nicholas Pennington, The Duke of Valle Charme, Avery Ayers and her associates at Antiques and Artifacts Appraised head off to their most glamorous assignment yet -- cataloguing and appraising the contents of a castle-like mansion on the Hudson River.  But regal splendor becomes a backdrop to mayhem when the precious Viktor Petrova timepiece disappears -- and housekeeper Suzanne Vick plummets from a parapet to her death.

Avery, her dad William, and colleagues Micah Abbott and Sir Robert Lane soon learn that Suzanne's predecessor also met with an untimely end.  Further, the housekeeper's suspicious demise coincides with Avery's discovery that many of the Duke's most priceless heirlooms have been replaced by fakes.

Detective Art Smith lends his expertise, but the suspect list encompasses the Duke's entire retinue -- including his family.  Could the killer be someone intimately familiar with the Pennington estate, such as caretaker couple Ira and Lynn Hoffman, the Penningtons' chauffeur Roderick, or even one of the heirs to the Pennington fortune?

Then the duke himself is injured in an inexplicable accident, and the clock swiftly ticks toward a reckoning with a cold-blooded killer.  A criminal mastermind is making a desperate bid for ill-gotten riches...can Avery bring the culprit to justice before her time is up?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Avery Ayers is an antique appraiser, along with her father William, and partners Micah Abbott and Sir Robert Lane.  They've been given the opportunity to appraise and inventory items throughout Pennington Manor, one of the duke's homes.  During the appraisals, Avery and Micah discover that there are fakes among them.  But before she can bring the duke this news, housekeeper Suzanne Vick falls to her death from the top of the manor.

Now there is a murder investigation, and Avery realizes that it could be any one of the household who pushed her.  Joining the group as part of their team is Detective Art Smith -- one time boyfriend of Avery's who wants to be so again -- and Avery is beginning to realize that she wants that, also.  But their relationship issues are on the back burner as they work to discover a killer -- any way they can -- before the murderer does so again.

Now they're wondering if the death is tied into the thefts, and if the previous housekeeper was part of it, too.  But with a household of disgruntled employees, and the duke's sons not happy, either, who is the killer?  Time is not on their side, but a killer lurks close by, and Avery may find herself in a permanent time out...

This is the second book in the series and I must say that I enjoyed it quite as much as the first.  It had a mystery that began almost at the beginning, which gave us time to garner clues and look for the killer.  But with the appraisers finding that many of the items have been stolen and replaced with fakes, they also have to find out who the originals were sold to, and who the party was who sold them,  This is going to take time, and in the meanwhile, Art and Avery are paired to quietly check out the household for clues.

In the subplots, Avery's sister Tilly is home from England with a secret to tell and a big decision to make; neither of which she is willing to come forward with as yet.  Avery is training for a 26 mile marathon, the longest she's ever done; and her relationship with Art is one again moving forward after he decides to open up to her.  Then there is a very cute addition, and one I love.

But I do love learning about antiques.  If I could afford it, I would have them in every room instead of just the ones my parents left me.  They have so much history to tell, and I love hearing about it as they go.  (Others might not, but I do).

When it gets toward the end, Avery and Art are close to finding the killer, but then an incident occurs that almost stops them until it is finally all put together and why.  One may never know what pushes a killer to do what they do, but it is sad in a way, yet a deranged mind will never be able to reason.  I did love this book as much as the first.  Ms. Gardner is indeed a talented writer and I look forward to the next in the series.  Highly 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/Peril-Pennington-Manor-Antique-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09FNYW6WZ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4787769170

More on Tracy Gardner's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/tracy-gardner/

Farmer In The Dead (A Chelsea Lawson Cozy Mystery Book 2)

Author:    CeeCee James

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798623464859

Independently Published

230 Pages

$12.99; $2.99 Amazon

March 10, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mayhem follows Chelsea Lawson like baby ducks chase their mama.

Chelsea's thrilled when her best friend, Tilly, returns home from overseas.  The joy's short-lived, though, because before she's even settled back in, the police show up, and they're full of questions.  Turns out Tilly's ex has turned up dead, and she's the last one to see him alive.

Now, it's up to Chelsea to find the real killer and clear her friend's name.  But that's not the only mystery on her plate.  Chelsea's digging into her own past, and the more she learns about it, the less sure she is of the future.

Has everything in her life been a lie?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Chelsea Lawson moved back home to take care of her friend Tilly's daughter and home while Tilly was on a work assignment.  But the day Tilly arrives back, she needs to go see her ex-boyfriend about another photography job.  When she calls Chelsea to pick her up, she seems angry.  And when the police show up at Tilly's farm, they have her as a suspect in the man's death, since she was the last one to see him alive.  Now Chelsea's made a promise to find out the truth, and she intends to do so.

But Chelsea's also wondering about a strange man who showed up at her place of work.  And wonders what her mother has been keeping from her.  With two mysteries she needs to solve, she doesn't know which one is more important...

This is the second in a three-part series, and while I hate the fact that the author leaves us with another cliffhanger, I was going to read the book anyway, so there it is.  What I hate is the fact that Chelsea would rather avoid people than confront them when they treat her badly; and also am still wondering why she can't cook when she's almost thirty.  Sorry, but that's just lazy.  Even the busiest person should be able to cook eggs.

We also get some answers, but there are more questions.  I also thought the ending was done more as an afterthought, since there weren't any clues to the murderer throughout the book, just as the point toward the end where Chelsea was figuring it out -- and the police already had.  So the mystery itself seemed more of a subplot and the main plot was about Chelsea figuring out her past.  Other than that, it was an enjoyable read that can be read in an afternoon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0834DL5Q7?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4780537874

More on CeeCee James's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/j/ceecee-james/

Hanging Hannah (Jane & Winky, Amateur PIs. Book #2)

Author:    Evan Marshall

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781575665504; 9781980340003

Kensington Publishing

303 Pages

[Various Prices[; $2.99 Amazon

February 11, 2018

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

After Jane's last brush with a murderer landed her with a feature in People magazine, she is eager to get back to her literary life as a book agent -- reading book proposals, making deals, talking to authors.  She's glad to put fame aside and now that her beloved son Nick's birthday is coming up, she's busy planning a birthday party for him.

She selects one of her favorite spots, a local inn, but before anyone can sing Happy Birthday and say "make a wish," the body of a young woman is found hanging from a tree in the woods back behind the inn.

No one seems to know who she is, but she has been murdered.

Found near the body is a clipping of the People magazine article about Jane, the only clue.  Why did this woman have it?  What does it have to do with her murder?  And why was she so interested in Jane and her neighbors?

The mystery deepens as more people start to die in Shady Hills while Jane and her detective friend hunt as fast as they can for clues as to the identity of the mystery woman -- and of the killer on the loose.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Jane Stuart is a literary agent who's just getting her life back to normal after finding a dead body.  She's planning her son's tenth birthday party at a friend's inn, and all seems to be going well.  The day of the party she hears a scream while the kids are on a scavenger hunt, and runs to find her son -- and the body of a dead woman hanging from a tree.  When it's determined that this is a homicide, Detective Stanley Greenberg is brought in to investigate.  But there's no clue as to whom the woman is, nor how she got there.  Jane's friend Louise thinks she saw her walking into the woods, But Louise has bigger problems of her own -- and Jane wants to help her.

Then Jane's assistant Daniel tells her he's going to marry his fiancée Laura, and he drops a bombshell on Jane about his past that has her stunned.  But more than this, an editor friend named Holly tells Jane that she's giving her a new client -- hot new star Goddess, who wants to write a book.  Jane accepts, but discovers that Goddess doesn't exactly live up to her name.  When there's another death soon after, Jane wants to know what's going on.  She also begins to wonder if the two might be connected.  But how?

It's when she starts thinking about things she knows, and some things that are practically dropped into her lap, she comes to a devastating conclusion about the killer.  Unfortunately, it may be too late for Jane, unless she can save herself somehow...

This is the second book in the series and I must say that I quite enjoyed it as much as the first.  Mr. Marshall is indeed a talented writer, and keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering where the story is going to go next.  

Jane, finding herself lonely and missing her late husband, tries to pull herself into her work, but things keep getting in the way.  'Things' being dead bodies.  Unfortunately, she's once again involved in murder, and it escalates when something occurs to put her on her guard.  I shall not say more about that, not wanting to ruin the book for others who have not read it.

If you have not, I recommend that you do.  It is full of twists and unexpected happenings, and there is a subplot that is interesting, to say the least; and watching Jane put everything together is worth reading the book alone.  Ah, it is these twists that one has to watch for; they are the gist and meat of the book, and looking for them has you come to the same conclusion as Jane, although not so soon as to think you have got it all.

In the end, when we discover the murderer, one never knows what goes on in the mind of a sociopath; nor what one will strive for at any cost.  I look forward to the next in this series.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Hanging-Hannah-Winky-Suburban-Sleuths-ebook/dp/B079SCFY5S/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4769833255

More on Evan Marshall's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/evan-marshall/

The Mourning Beads (A Maggie & Jasper Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Barbara Cool Lee

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B098PSN8M2

Pajaro Bay Publishing

149 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

July 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Can Maggie find the real killer when her teenage student threatens to strangle her mother with a jet-black necklace...hours before the woman is found dead?  And what deep, dark secret is movie star Reese Stevens hiding from the world?  Can Maggie help him face the truth?

Maggie McJasper is starting over in a little California beach town.  She has a bead shop, a nice circle of friends, and a handsome movie star who keeps flirting with her.  Life would be pretty great if she could just stop stumbling over dead bodies...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maggie McJasper is starting life over after her divorce from a Hollywood mogul.  Unfortunately, when she got the beach mansion in the divorce, she also got its mortgage and bills.  So she has to rent it out of a Hollywood star who's also a friend.  But she's happy, living in a tiny house in the driveway; she has her bead shop and her dog Jasper, who takes up a lot of the room but whom she wouldn't know what to do without him.

After getting into yet another argument with Alexis, who owns the art gallery next door, she witnesses an argument between Alexis and her daughter Willow, and it doesn't end well, with Alexis slashing her own paintings with a knife.  But later, she's teaching a class on making mourning beads, with two of the of the customers being Willow, and Willow's boyfriend Grey.  Both are making bracelets to remind them that their relationships with their mother and father respectively, are dead to them.  It saddens Maggie, but there's nothing she can do to heal the relationships.

Later, Maggie finds Alexis's body in the alley and the natural suspect is Willow, since others heard their argument.  But neither Willow nor Grey can be found, and Maggie worries for them.  She doesn't believe they're murderers, but even Willow's father think they did it.  So how is she going to prove their innocence?

On top of this, Maggie's tenant, Reese Stevens, is having issues with his ex-girlfriend, who isn't happy that he's got custody of his son for summer visits.  When he gets Shane home, it seems the two of them don't have anything in common.  Maggie wants them to find a common thread, but she knows it will have to be something they work out between them.  Not to mention Reese is indicating he'd like to be more than friends, but Maggie isn't sure she wants to be part of that world again.

Setting her personal problems aside for the time being, Maggie is sure she can find out who killed Alexis.  She just needs time -- and to stay away from the real culprit...

This is the second book in the series, and I must say that I enjoyed it more than the first.  The characters are showing a little more depth, and we're getting to see the reasons behind their past and their current actions.  It makes for an enjoyable read.  Watching Maggie try and find a killer is rather fun, and looking for clues along with her make it all the more worthwhile.

When the killer is discovered, it comes almost at a strange moment, and with an 'aha' right beside it.  It makes the conclusion satisfying and you never really know what is inside the mind of a murderer.  There is also something to look forward to in the next book, and I will read it soon.  Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Mourning-Beads-Maggie-Jasper-Caper-ebook/dp/B098PSN8M2/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4762281996

More on Barbara Cool Lee's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/l/barbara-cool-lee/

A Big Fat Greek Murder (A Goddess of Greene Street Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Kate Collins

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496724359\/

Kensington Publishing

336 Pages

$6.99; $6.64 Amazon

December 1, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The entire family has been put to work when a big fat Greek wedding rehearsal is booked at the Parthenon.  All hands are needed for rolling grape leaves, layering moussaka, and keeping the bride calm.  But then the groom goes MIA and there's far more to worry about than just whether Yiayia's lemon rice soup has gone cold.

No matter how tangy the tzatziki, everyone's appetite is ruined when the groom is found dead, a pair of scissors planted in his back.  When the bride accuses Athena's sister Selene, a hairstylist, of seducing and stabbing her fiancé, it's all-out war -- and it's up to Athena to dig up the dirt on the suspects and nip these suspicions in the bud...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Athena's family owns a garden center and a restaurant called the Parthenon.  When her hairstylist sister Selene is asked to be a bridesmaid for her friend Mandy, she agrees.  The rehearsal dinner is at the restaurant, and everyone is waiting for Brady, the groom, to show up.  But he never does.  And when Mandy's brother goes looking for him, they find that Brady has been murdered.  But things get worse when the police discover Selene's scissors in his back, and she can't give a solid alibi, they arrest her for the murder.  Now Athena and her friend Case are determined to find evidence to get Selene off the hook.  But between dodging Mama's attempts to get Athena married, and a rich woman's attempts to get Case, things aren't going to be as easy as Athena wants.  She just hopes she can find the evidence before Selene is formally charged and brought to trial...

This is the second book in the series and I did like it a bit better than the first.  Unfortunately, I really don't like Athena's mama.  She's a nag, and even with a daughter in jail for a murder she didn't commit, she's still trying to get Athena married off.  How much sense does that make?  She sets her up on blind dates knowing Athena doesn't want anything to do with it.  I also don't care for the 'evil nemesis' in the form of Lila; I really abhor those in books and wish she'd disappear.

While I thought the plot was done well, and the writing was very good, there were parts that were slow-going, and I just didn't understand Mitchell's obsession about Mandy.  It was almost unhealthy, if you know what I mean.  

But other than this, the plot flowed and kept me interested in the book and I did like the interactions between Athena and her father.  They are very close, and it shows.  I also liked the fact that her relationship with Case is moving forward.

The way Athena and Case went about asking questions was never invasive, and I liked that they shared the information with police officer Bob McGuire.  It's always nice to have a police officer who's helpful and not nasty to you.

In the end, I did enjoy how everything was resolved; when the murderer is discovered, it was both sad and yet done in such a way that you couldn't hate the killer.  I felt everything was done nicely while giving us a touch of what is going to happen in the next book.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Greek-Murder-Goddess-Greene-Mystery-ebook/dp/B085LTLH4P/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4755648412

More on Kate Collins's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/kate-collins/

Scheduled to Death (A Maggie McDonald Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Mary Feliz

Genre:     Mystery

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781601836663

Lyrical Underground

236 Pages

$11.65; $1.99 Amazon

January 17, 2017

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maggie McDonald is hoping to raise the profile of her new Orchard View organizing business via her first high-profile client.  Professor Lincoln Sinclair may be up for a Nobel Prize, but he's hopeless when it comes to organizing anything other than his thoughts.  For an academic, he's also amassed more than his share of enemies.  When Sinclair's fiancée is found dead on the floor of his home laboratory -- electrocuted in a puddle of water -- Maggie takes on the added task of finding the woman's murderer.  To do so, she'll have to outmaneuver the suspicious, obnoxious police investigator she's nicknamed "Detective Awful" before a shadow figure can check off the first item on their personal to-do list -- Kill Maggie McDonald.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maggie McDonald and her family moved to Orchard View after a late aunt left her husband a large home and the money he would need to maintain it.  Now, she's starting up her organizing business again in her new town, and she's lucked out by being able to organize the home of Professor Lincoln Sinclair, who will be getting married soon and combining households.  But when she arrives with her realtor friend Tess, they find the body of Lincoln's fiancée, Sarah, electrocuted in a puddle of water.  At first it looks like a horrible accident, but after the police investigate the crime, it's determined to be a murder.

But the man in charge, Detective Apfel, whom Maggie and everyone around her has nicknamed "Detective Awful," is a horrible detective and rubs everyone the wrong way.   He's decided that Linc killed Sarah -- never mind that Linc was nowhere near the crime scene -- and is determined to pin the murder on him.  What can Maggie do but help Linc?  Even though her husband Max wants her to stay out of it, she knows she can't.  Maggie has more than one problem coming her way, and even if she wants to try and just help people, there's someone out there besides the police who doesn't want her help -- the killer...

This is the second book in the series and I must say that I enjoyed it quite much more than the first.  In the first, Maggie's husband was working out of town and I was afraid it was going to be another cozy where the protagonist had her husband gone all the time and she solved murders on her own.  I was pleasantly surprised that Max made more than an appearance in this book, even if he didn't get involved in the investigation as much, he was supportive of his wife, which goes a long way.

Maggie knows that Linc couldn't commit a murder, so she starts looking as to who might have wanted the woman dead.  Or did they?  Since it occurred in Linc's house, maybe he was the target after all?  Could it have been one of the teenagers who worked next door in the gardens?  Or perhaps their supervisor, Boots?

All she knows is that since the detective who would have been on the case, Jason Mueller, is out with a broken leg, and the obnoxious replacement doesn't care about justice, only about closing cases fast.  With Maggie under the gun for time, she needs to find a killer before they find her.

When the ending comes, everything is put together nicely, and we were given a clue to the murderer (I am pleased to say that I was right) but you have to watch for it along the way.  At the end, there is a nice epilogue which puts it all into perspective, and I will read the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Scheduled-Death-Maggie-McDonald-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01EQ2N1QM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4738595905

More on Mary Feliz's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/f/mary-feliz/

Potions Are For Pushovers (An Eleanor Wilde Mystery Book 2)

Author:    Tamara Berry

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496719638

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$12.99; $16.46 Amazon

November 26, 2019

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Selling mystical elixirs and tantalizing tonics is a pretty good way for a fake medium to earn a living.  Or at least it's Ellie's main source of income -- until a villager turns up dead.  The cause?  Murder by poisoning.  And though Ellie's concoctions don't include anything worthy of a skull and crossbones, suddenly she's the prime suspect.  Her only recourse is to find the culprit who did do away with Sarah Blackthorne.  No one liked the mean old battle-axes.  But did anyone hate her enough to kill her?

It's enough of a mystery to make Ellie hang up her witch's hat and take millionaire beau Nicholas Hartford up on his offer to keep her afloat.  Except Ellie is not the kind of woman to lean on a man -- least of all a man she adores whose place in her life is uncertain.  Besides, Ellie's taken on two young witches-in-training -- apprentices if you will -- and both of them are convinced a werewolf is the murderer.

Just as Ellie's wondering if there really is something otherworldly going on, animals suddenly begin to disappear -- including her beloved cat, Beast.  Now Ellie's on the warpath to uncover the wicked truth about the people and the place she's only just begun to call home...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Eleanor Wilde is a fake psychic who's taken to making potions and tonics for the villagers around her, becoming the village witch, living in a cottage on the estate of her beau, rich Nicholas Hartford.  But Nicholas travels and isn't always around, and she refuses to live on his largesse, rather trying to make it on her reputation, such as it is.  But one morning she's conscripted to act as emissary for the Hartfords by Nicholas's mother.  She's to attend in her place on the committee for the annual village fete.  Not all the people attending are happy about it; and one elderly woman, Sarah Blackthorne, accuses Eleanor of giving her 'the evil eye' just before Sarah drops dead of a suspected heart attack.

Now Eleanor is out to prove her innocence, and is determined to find out who killed the woman.  Hindering her efforts is the daughter of the village physician, Lenora, who insists that apprenticing with Eleanor is the place she wants to be for her school project.  When Nicholas's niece Rachel hears of this, she decides she wants to apprentice, also.  And when the remains of a man's beloved pet pig is found mutilated, the girls have decided it's the work of a werewolf.  Well, keeping them occupied reading about the history of werewolves can't be bad, right?  Wrong.  Especially when Eleanor starts wondering if the girls might be on the right track...

This is the second book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it much more than the first (sorry).  The characters are given a chance to flesh out better, and we're getting a much better idea of the way that Eleanor thinks.  This is a young woman who has not had the easiest time in life; she's had to care for her permanently injured -- now deceased -- sister, and recently moved to England to begin her new life in the village and decide just what her relationship with Nicholas is.  But she's worried that the villagers don't really accept her, and she wants to become a part of this place that she's taken to her heart.

She also feels the need to watch over the two girls in her care, even though Lenora's mother isn't happy about the arrangement; and she's worried about her cat Beast, who recently disappeared, wondering if she's been a victim of the person -- or animal -- that has been capturing and killing pets throughout the village.

The mystery itself is done very well, and we're wondering who could possibly be a killer in their midst.  She's sure it has to be one of the people who were at the meeting, which makes the murderer a local villager.  But she has no idea who it might be, at least until she discovers a major clue -- one even others have missed, and she's sure she can find a way to get a confession.  That is, until Ellie herself is thrown off her game and may just find herself in danger of being the next victim...

All in all, when the murderer is discovered, it comes almost as a surprise, and a pleasant one at that, since it's always nice to have time to figure it out along with the protagonist.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book so much that I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/Potions-Pushovers-Eleanor-Wilde-Mystery-ebook/dp/B07PCHV2KP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4714832451

More on Tamara Berry's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/tamara-berry/