Tasty Edibles, Nasty Rumblings (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery Book 13)

Author:    Ruth Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book (Hardcover Also Available)

ISBN #:    9798856516790

Clean Tales Publishing

198 Pages

$9.99; $2.99 Amazon

August 13, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Excitement courses through Lucy as she receives an exclusive invitation to a televised bake-off competition, set on a secluded private island off the enchanting coast of Georgia.  A charismatic celebrity will play host to this culinary showdown, where Lucy's unwavering confidence in her culinary skills fuels her ambition to claim the coveted grand prize.

Stepping onto the island, Lucy finds herself amidst an intriguing cast of characters, each concealing ulterior motives beneath their smiles, all vying for victory to further their personal agendas.

Surrounded by the lush island backdrop, a sudden tragedy strikes as one of the enigmatic characters meets an untimely death.  Whispers of their demise echo through the island, intertwining with tales of a mythical beast lurking within the dense woods.

In this unsettling atmosphere, Lucy battles confusion and fear as tensions surge among the contestants.  Isolated from her familiar surroundings, she observes the ruthless lengths to which people will go for their selfish gains.

Despite being cautioned to stay uninvolved, Lucy's curiosity propels her to delve into the intricate connections between the deceased and the remaining competitors.

As she pieces together the puzzle, she grapples with a choice: should she maintain her focus on winning the tantalizing cash prize, or should she follow the breadcrumbs of clues, risking her safety to unveil a malevolent scheme?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale returned to Ivy Creek after her parents were unceremoniously killed in an accident, to run her family's bakery.  She's made it a success, and even expanded, which has made her content.  But unfortunately, her oven has finally died, being there since her parents opened.  Now she needs a new one, but doesn't know where the money will come from.

That is until she receives information asking if she wants to join a televised culinary show where the winning baker will receive $10,000.  So Lucy and her friend and fellow baker Hannah venture to an isolated island in Georgia, where they are surprised to find that they will be staying at an old mansion that has been reserved for the project.

Also unfortunately, Lucy finds that a couple of rival bakers aren't as nice as she is, and will do anything to win.  But when the body of someone involved with the competition is found on the grounds by Lucy, she also wonders how far will someone go?  Will they kill?  Now with everyone on the island as suspects, Lucy and Hannah set their own investigation in place-- but will it get her killed as well?...

This is the thirteenth book in the series and I have read them all, but I do think that I liked this one the best.  We have Lucy in unfamiliar territory as she attempts to solve a murder at a mansion that is occupied only by the owners and people involved with the cooking competition.  She wonders if one of her fellow contestants is to blame, but if so, which one?

With few clues and needing to stay under the radar, she and Hannah try their best to work stealthily while still managing to try and come out on top in the investigation.  It's an interesting combination, and it works.  (The recipes are very good, too).

But it seems that someone else is interested in what Lucy is doing -- the killer -- and they're not about to let her get away with finding them out.  In the climax, we see that Lucy is capable and even though she didn't figure it out as soon as she should have, everything comes together nicely and the ending is satisfying all around.  I look forward to the next in the series.  Recommended.  

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

https://www.amazon.com/Tasty-Edibles-Nasty-Rumblings-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0C7CRJKGP/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6178619186

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

A Twinkle of Trouble (A Fairy Garden Mystery Book 5)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496744937

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$17.95; $9.99 Amazon

April 23, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree.  When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal -- aka the cat door -- the three set off for a busy day.  Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business.  Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth...

But the murder of Courtney's friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival.  Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she'd been building a career as an influencer.  She was perennially opinionated -- but in her new role she'd become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews.  That's landed a couple of Courtney's other friends on the suspect list -- including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores.  And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne's innocence sprout in Courtney's mind.  With only a gem of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Courtney lives in Carmel-by-the-Sea in California, and owns Open Your Imagination, a shop that allows people to make their own fairy gardens.  It helps that she has her own personal fairy, Fiona.  Fiona has recently returned from the fairy realm, and Courtney is happy to have her back.  Although not everyone can see -- nor believes in -- fairies, Courtney and others don't really care.

While hosting a group that are there to make their own little gardens, one of the women, Genevieve, learns that she is not invited to participate in the Summer Blooms Festival, and it rankles her.  She proceeds to insult other guests, and since she is known as an influencer, uses her online forum to diss other local businesses, as well.  As imagined, this doesn't sit well with people.  Although it is surprising when Genevieve is found dead, and Daphne Flores, one of the women whose business she insulted, is found standing over her.

When another person is found murdered, the police are honing in on Daphne.  Courtney has trouble believing her friend is a killer, but to be fair, she's not close with the woman and doesn't know all that much about her.  But Courtney is nothing if not persistent, and she continues to ask questions and look for clues that might point her to a killer -- a killer who might already be aware that Courtney could be dangerous if left alive...

This is the fifth book in the series and I must say that I have found them all delightful.  While I will not say whether I believe in such things as fairies or not, I will also say that I am positive that some people have no problem believing.  Which is why this book is so delightful (yes, I said it again).  Just like the title of her shop, it allows you to open your imagination and try to think what it would be like if there were many of them floating around us.

While, of course, the mystery takes first place as it should, we have a secondary tale in which Fiona's sister enters the human world to be mentored by her elder sister and other fairies that reside there.  We learn that even in the fairy realm there is sibling rivalry and arguments, but there is also fun and enjoyment.  It is a pleasure to share in these moments with the fairies.

But back to the mystery -- Courtney has no issues with asking people where they were on the nights of the murders, even though the police tell her to stay out of the investigation.  There are mixed signals, with the lead detective also telling her to keep her ears and eyes open and report anything she learns.  Hmm.  You can't have it both ways, sir.  So Courtney does what she does best, and gathers information any way she can (although she doesn't do anything illegal, which is good).  With each piece of data gathered she is eventually able to dismiss people from the suspect list, leaving her with only three of them; and figuring out which one it is could put her life in danger.

While I knew the murderer long before Courtney did (Again, I read a lot of mysteries) I did enjoy watching her figure it out.  Alas, it was nearly too late, but Courtney can think on her feet and she had no problem putting things in motion ahead of time.  In the end, it all comes together very nicely, and we are given a glimpse of what might be to come.  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/Twinkle-Trouble-Fairy-Garden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0CFGF36NM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6171382552

More on Daryl Wood Gerber's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/daryl-wood-gerber/

Mischief Night Murder (A Mangrove Bay Cozy Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Joy Patrick

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback. Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798863059235

Independently Published

107 Pages

$13.99; $5.99 Amazon

October 11. 2023

⭐⭐⭐

It's her first Halloween since being back in Mangrove Bay, FL., and former urbanite-turned-amateur-sleuth Vivian Blake is feeling the town's excitement as they prepare for the October festivities.  Skeletons, ghosts, witches, spiders.  And one corpse.  A real one.

Mischief Night -- or Pirate Night as it's called here -- wouldn't be complete without a reenactment of the eerie tale of pirate Captain Treader and his ship, The Bloody Cutlass, that was said to have capsized off the coast of Mangrove Bay.

The quirky locals love their spooky traditions.  Well, all except one.

Up in arms about Pirate's Night corrupting local youth, spoilsport Marion Leggett's bent on undermining the celebrations, whatever it takes.  Amid the chaos, a town resident ends up dead, accusations fly, and law enforcement rushes to find the killer.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Vivian Blake has been away for many years, and returned home to Mangrove Bay, Florida to live in her late uncle Don's home.  She and her tenant, Ben, are preparing for Mischief Night -- otherwise known as Pirate's Night -- as everyone in town awaits the festivities along with a reenactment of the night the townspeople vanquished deadly pirate Captain Treader and his crew.  Nearly everyone is excited, except for sour Marion Leggett and her son, Patrick.  For years she's been bemoaning the bad influence it has on the town.

But this year there's a surprise -- one of the townspeople is found dead, and Marion is very much a suspect.  While the sheriff thinks he's got the right woman, Vivian isn't so sure, and sets out to find the true killer...

This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I am not sure if I want to read any more of them.  Not because the book was bad, by any means.  It was decent for a novella.  But because the author proceeded to tell us -- especially those of us who have not read others by her -- who died in the last book and who the murderer was.  Now, I could have not been bothered by the victim, but telling us the murderer?  Why would I go back and read the prior book if I already know the ending?  The author herself gave us The Spoiler.  Something you don't want a reader to do, by the way, much less the person who wrote the book.  The worst part?  It wasn't even necessary to the story.  It could have been left out altogether.

So now I am left wondering if this is going to occur in every other book.  Why, then, should I read any of them?  I love figuring out the killer.  I don't love someone telling me ahead of time who it is.

The story itself was rather interesting, but because of the length, it was difficult to get a read on the characters.  What does Viv look like?  We know her age, but that's about it.  Same with most of the other characters (aside from a minor one or two).  I got confused with the many people, most of whom had very little to do with the mystery.

But in the end, the killer was a bit of a surprise, and that's the main thing.  It should be.  Which is why I gave this book three stars (losing one for The Spoiler).  Just be aware that in the next book she might tell you who it was in this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Mischief-Night-Murder-Whodunnit-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0CK7HV6G4/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6118642816

More on Joy Patrick's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/p/joy-patrick/

The Stranger In The Library (A Lighthouse Library Mystery Book 11)

Author:    Eva Gates

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781639106608

Crooked Lane Books

304 Pages

$29.99; $17.99 Amazon

June 4, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐

When a traveling show of Impressionist art comes to Nags Head, North Carolina, librarian Lucy and the staff at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library are inspired to create an educational display about art history.  Their launch of the display is a huge success, but the morning after, they discover that a reproduction of a famous painting has gone missing.

No one knows why anyone would bother stealing it: the picture is of no value -- the real, priceless painting is under lock and key at the show itself.  Lucy gets an invite to the glitzy opening night for the real show, where she notices unusual tension among the show's organizers.  Then the man scheduled to give the welcoming speech fails to arrive, and a party-goer is discovered drowned in a fish pond.

Meanwhile, Louise Jane is totally captivated by Tom Reilly, a handsome, charming art dealer lurking at the edges of the receptions on both nights.  Tom slipped away from the party early, and he cannot be located by the police.  Who, Lucy asks, is Tom Reilly, the shadowy figure threatening to break Louise Jane's Heart?

Something is afoot in Nags Head, and it's up to Lucy and her friends to get to the bottom of it before it's not just paintings being framed.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Librarian Lucy McNeil is recently married and returned from her honeymoon in Europe, happy to be home.  She's involved in displaying Impressionist art in the library, a co-project of a traveling art show, and they are displaying reproductions of art, which are meant for library visitors to learn about the genre.  While the opening goes well, Lucy is amused once again by Louise Jane, who has a painting by one of her ancestors at the opening, a well-known Outer Banks artist.  But the next day they notice the painting is missing, and no one seems to know where it has gone.  Even though they report it to the police, it now has to take a back seat, because Lucy, her cousin Josie, and Louise Jane have discovered the body of one of the show's organizers.  

What Lucy wants to know is are the two crimes connected, and if so, how?  Even if Detective Sam Watson asks for Lucy's impression of some of the suspects, she's more concerned with the painting, as it wasn't valuable but sentimental.  Why would someone steal it at all?

But there's also the problem of Louise Jane being attracted to Tom Reilly, a man who claims to be an art dealer, but he disappears and can't be found.  While Louise Jane refuses to believe anything bad about him, Lucy isn't so sure.  And finding him might be just as difficult as finding out why the painting was taken, and why the organizer was killed.  Can she once again enter a murder investigation but without putting herself in danger?...

This is the eleventh book in the series and I have read them all.  While I will admit that it took me a few books to warm up to the series, I now love it.  I have fully immersed myself in the Outer Banks without actually visiting there, and the populace in this book makes you want to do so.  The characters are quite human, and actually have human interests.  By that, I mean that they don't spend their time sitting around drinking, but they also watch television, go shopping, etc.  It's the same type of lives that we, outside the books, live.  This is what makes them so endearing, and the author has done a wonderful job of it.

But back to the book -- when the painting is discovered missing, I, along with Lucy, am wondering why anyone would want it at all.  But then there's a surprise in store (and I won't mention it here) that helps in the investigation, and we only have to decipher the clue.  Hah!  Easier said than done.  Especially when Lucy is pretty much on her own this time, since Sam is concerned with finding out who killed the Person in the Pond.  Two very different mysteries, with possibly two different reasons.  Or is it?

When the ending comes, I have to say that I figured out the killer earlier than Lucy, but then again, as I've said many times before, I read a lot of mysteries, so this is how my brain works. However, finding the reason why was a bit more difficult, and worth the read altogether.  

There's a bit of a twist at the end, and it makes everything even more worthwhile.  Again, I love this series and would have no problem recommending it to anyone.  You can read this as a standalone, but it will make you want to go back to the beginning and see how it all began.  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/Stranger-Library-Lighthouse-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B0CH9J39DV/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6115402759

More on Eva Gates's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/g/eva-gates/

Bing and Billie and Frank and Ella and Judy and Barbra

Author:    Dan Callahan

Genre:     Biographies/Music

Hardcover; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781641609227

Chicago Review Press

384 Pages

$26.99; $10.99 ($5.99) Amazon

September 5, 2023

⭐⭐⭐

Crosby, Holiday, Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Garland and Streisand were the major interpreters ofthe American songbook, and this is the interlocking story of their lives and careers.

Here is the epic tale of how these artists dominated American popular music over a fifty-year period, a roller coaster ride that gains momentum through the 1930s and '40s a crest of magical creativity in the 1950s and early '60s, and then crashes down by the early 1970s, a half century when the great American songbook dominated the airwaves and the fight for racial equality came to the forefront.

Ella was beloved in her time, and she is still beloved.  Frank is still the king of the songbook, but Bing's legacy is just as vital once you start listening to his unprecedented 1930s output.  The best songs from Judy's greatest triumph, her 1963-64 TV series, are shared endlessly online.  The legend of Billie grows by the year, and the basis of this should be appreciation and wonder for her own great artistry in the 1930s.  Barbra is a living legend and still a commercial force to be reckoned with, the last exemplar of the songbook and its glories.  All six of these singers reach out to us and show us new ways of expression and new ways to dream.

Their song is largely ended but the melody lingers on.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I must say that I am an old soul.  I love classic films and watch them repeatedly.  I love old music and Big Band, and have many albums that I listen to on a regular basis.  I have heard of -- and listened to -- all of the people mentioned in this book.  I am a huge fan of Bing Crosby and Billie Holiday, not so much Ella Fitzgerald (but the woman could sing), and I don't care for Barbra Streisand at all.  (I have to wonder why she is even in this book, considering she doesn't fit in the category of the others).

But saying that, I have to be honest about this book.  It's all over the place.  The chapters are all mixed up in a way that they shouldn't be.  First, you read about the beginnings of Bing, then Frank, etc.; when it should have been episodes devoted to each one individually.  All Bing, all Frank, etc.  The way it is written, you barely get a sense of what's going on when you're 'thrown into another person.'  It's disconcerting, and not good writing.

I did also feel that the author was doing a minor 'hit job' on a few of these (and I won't say who, because others might not have read the book yet); but things were said that never needed to be, and might change the opinion of others who like the music; i.e., color their world to the personality of the singer.  Most we knew: studios fed Judy drugs, Billie was a heroin addict; but some things did not pertain to their music and didn't need to be there.

As far as the music goes, each artist has their own style: Bing had a pure voice, one that will never be heard again, and the only other singer I can say that about is Perry Como.  The notes were pure, the songs lovely to listen to.  Frank put himself into his music, and it carried a different tune.  Billie used her whole heart, and the sadness and desperation shows in the songs -- while some were heartrending, others were pure beauty.  Ella just wanted to sing, and sing she did, and it comes out in the song.  Judy had a huge voice for such a small girl, and she put everything into it, heart, soul, and as loud and lovely as she could.  Again, I can't mention Barbra as I don't listen to her at all.  Sorry.

In the end, I would have liked to have read this differently, with a fullness to each person's story, but it wasn't written that way.  Most of the book is analysis and exposition, not the love of the subject.  While this is there, the heart is not.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Bing-Billie-Frank-Ella-Barbra-ebook/dp/B0C1T91B28/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6051865129

More on Dan Callahan's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dan-Callahan/author/B0053V2V7G?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref

Pati Jinich Treasures of The Mexican Table

Author:    Pati Jinich

Genre:     Cookbooks

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9780358086765

Harvest Publications

416 Pages

$20.49; $21.99 Amazon

November 23, 2021

⭐⭐

Although many of us can rattle off our favorite authentic Mexican dishes, we might be hard pressed to name more than ten.  Which is preposterous, given that Mexico has a rich culinary history stretching back thousands of years.  For the last decade, Pati Jinich has sought out the culinary treasures of her home country, from birria, to salsa macha, to coyotas, to carne asada.  

Many of these dishes are local specialties, heirlooms passed down through generations, unknown outside of their original regions.  Others have become national sensations.  Each recipe is a classic.  Each one comes with a story told in Pati's warm, relatable style.  And each has been tested in Pati's American kitchen to ensure it is the best of its kind.  Together, these essential recipes paint a vivid picture of the richness of Mexico.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I learned to cook as a child, and I have loved it ever since.  I can't count the hundreds of cookbooks that I own, and I use them all.  I am also looking for new recipes to try.  Sadly, this cookbook isn't it.  While some of the recipes sound interesting, most take a lot of ingredients (I counted 23 in one of them!) and I don't know who would want to spend hours in a kitchen making dinner, but it's not me.  I have no problem cooking lovingly, taking time with my meal, but these just don't sound appealing at all.

Then there are the ingredients -- several of the dishes use ingredients which can only be found in Mexican grocery stores.  (At least they're not carried in the store I regularly shop at).  Unless you are cooking something special, all ingredients should be readily available at your local grocery.

But the thing is that there are a lot of dishes using organ meat, and I just don't eat that.  So while the book does have some delicious sounding recipes, none of them are anything I would make.  And I do love Mexican food, so there's that...

https://www.amazon.com/Pati-Jinich-Treasures-Mexican-Table-ebook/dp/B08NWTPKMN/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6040387402

More on Pati Jinich's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Pati-Jinich/author/B00C5URXXU?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

The Twelve Suspects of Christmas (Related to Jule Cavallo Investigates)

Author:    Ana T. Drew

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798865578865

Independently Published

248 Pages

$9.99; $4.99 Amazon

October 16, 2023

⭐⭐⭐

It's January 4, 1961, and Marseilles housemaid Annie Malian is in love.  It's also the day her fiancé Rene takes his life under peculiar circumstances.

Many decades later, an old Christmas postcard addressed to Annie arrives, and all her doubts come flooding back.

At 84, there's no time to waste!

Annie enlists the help of Rose Tassy, an eccentric retired teacher and amateur sleuth.

Thus begins an unforgettable journey from Provence to a quaint village in Picardie and then on to the sparkling Riviera, with a detour through wintry Paris.

Amid yuletide festivities, Annie and Rose naviage perilous terrain.  Their list of suspects quickly grows.  Was it Rene's older brother?  Maybe the ex-gangster turned chicken farmer?  The powerful Monegasque tycoon?  Stumped, Rose begins to question her detective mettle when a new death compounds the plot... 

This Christmas, will Annie receive the overdue truth as a gift?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Annie is determined to prove her long-dead love did not die by his own hand.  She seeks the help of Rose Tassy, another elder who is working toward getting her PI license.  But when Rose hesitates to take her case, Annie makes her an offer, and they set out to find out who killed Rene and why. 

They travel through France seeking answers, including visiting a tycoon, Rene's family, and a retired gangster.  Are they going to be able to find the truth?  And what will Annie do if he did actually kill himself...

I wanted to read this story because I love mysteries, and also Christmas.  I must tell you that while it does take place at Christmas, there is very little in the story that actually alludes to it, and what is done seems rushed.

I didn't really care for either of the main characters; Annie is a prude and judgmental toward everyone; Rose is twice as self-centered as Annie and narcissistic.  Both of them together were very hard to read about.  But the two elderly women manage to make it through to the end, with a resolution in hand.

But the resolution felt odd, and none of the characters were fully developed; everyone save Rose and Annie were just bits and pieces of the plot.  When the killer is finally discovered, we really have learned very little about them.  Such is the way of this book; the writing seemed disjointed.  I hate to give mediocre reviews, but the book did not flow.  There were too many characters and most of them didn't really need to be included.  In fact, if there were less, this might have been a very good book.

Unfortunately, I cannot offer a better review.  However, I do have a different book by this author, and I will read that one to see if anything improves.

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/gp/product/B0CKFSDBNN/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6019291885

More on Ana T. Drew's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/ana-t-drew/