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/

Cupcakes and Chaos

Frosted Misfortunes Book 1

Author:    Lisa Siefert

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781965640463

Tule Publishing

280 Pages

$11.99; $4.99 Amazon

January 13, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Her new employer has met her maker,  and she's the only suspect.  Can she sift out the truth and serve the villain their just desserts?

Ava Decker longs to fulfill her lifelong dream of owning her own bakery.  Ready for a fresh start, the former forensic accountant turned pastry chef is excited to turn life's lemons into sugary success.  But her hopes crumble when her mean boss turns up dead in the back of the delivery truck Ava was driving.  

Arrested as the prime suspect, things get worse when the police discover the victim left Ava the shop and her house in her will.  And with only an adorable kitten who thinks he's a dog and an exasperated best friend as the voice of reason, the newly bequeathed owner must turn super-sleuth to clear her name.

Can Ava solve the crime before she's baking behind bars?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽ 

Ava Decker returns home to her small town of Clover Creek, Maine, after being away for ten years.  The reason she returned is because she was left at the altar by her fiancé Ben.  But one bright light is she's able to do what she's always wanted to: give up her job of forensic accounting and become a pastry chef, specializing in filled cupcakes.

Although her boss Francine is horrible, Ava loves what she does.  But one morning she's running late for a baking competition, and if she doesn't make it, Francine might fire her.  When she's stopped for speeding by Officer Wesley Lockwood, she offers him a cupcake from the back of the truck.  Unfortunately for her, the truck also holds the dead body of Francine...

Now Ava is the prime suspect in the murder, not only because she doesn't have an airtight alibi, but because at the reading of the will she inherits Francine's mansion, its contents, and the bakery.  Unless Ava can find the guilty party, she won't be making cupcakes...she'll be doing time...

This is the first book in the series and the reason I read it is I just finished the sixth, and I was so enamored by it that I felt I had to go back and read the series from start.  I am glad to say that I am not disappointed.  In fact, I am just as enamored by this book as I was from the other.

In this book, we get to know a little more about Ava's background, although we don't know the entire story of why she was dumped.  (To put it succinctly). We do know she's rather tall (5'11") and is very pretty, and that she has a loyal friend in Ruby, her BFF from high school.  True friendship never fails...even when that friend is telling you not to investigate (but you do anyway).

We also get to meet the delightful Lucky, an Abyssinian kitten that belonged to Francine and is now Ava's.  Abyssinians are known for separation anxiety, so Ava is determined to make him an emotional support kitten, therefore taking him everywhere (which only adds to the fun).

There are suspects aplenty, and even if Ava is trying to bribe them with cupcakes to get information, something else occurs that causes her to move even higher on the suspect list (if that's even possible).  There isn't much time left if she's going to save herself, but with new friends and old, Ava is pushing through...and might just be left alive after all....

In the end, the murderer was unexpected (in a way), but you can't reason with a killer (nor would you want to).  An engaging story with plenty of action, and I will definitely continue with this series.  Highly recommended

https://www.amazon.com/Cupcakes-Chaos-Frosted-Misfortunes-Mysteries/dp/196564046X/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7908226865

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

Candy Canes and Crimes

Frosted Misfortunes Mysteries Book 6

Author:    Lisa Siefert

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0FDKQLJ21

Tule Publishing

240 Pages

$4.99 Amazon

October 20, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Her Christmas cupcakes were a hit, but her customer's death lands her on the naughty list.

Ava Decker is catering the biggest holiday party of the season, and she's dreaming of sugarplum profits.  But her festive mood sours when she discovers her client face down in a vat of melted chocolate.  And worse?  She stiffed her on payment for 200 custom cupcakes before taking her final dip.

With her high school sweetheart back in town stirring up old feelings and union scandal brewing hotter than cocoa, Ava must whisk through revenge-seeking factory workers, suspicious girlfriends, and missing millions.  Armed with her crime-solving cat Lucky and her own knack for finding trouble, she's racing to unwrap the truth behind this murder before the killer strikes again.

Can Ava crack this candy-coated case in time for Christmas, or will she find herself wrapped up and under the tree--permanently?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Ava Decker owns Frosted, a dessert shop in her small town.  She's unhappy when her maybe-or-not wealthy boyfriend, Marcus Palmer, decides he needs to go to Africa and build hospitals  She didn't have the conversation of whether they are or not a couple, so she does what any woman would do, right?  She drowns herself in pity for two months eating takeout and living in her pajamas.

Her friends have decided it's enough and asked another friend, Detective Wesley Lockwood, to get her to her birthday party, which is supposed to be a surprise, but really isn't.  Ava hates surprises.  She hates the fact Wesley is making her do something.  But she has a big order of cupcakes to deliver to another friend's business, so needs his help.

Unfortunately, when they arrive, they can't locate the woman...at first...until Ava sees her floating face-down in a vat of chocolate.  She tries to get her out, but calls Wesley, and he tells her to step away while the police investigate.  At least she's not a suspect in this murder.  But someone is...

Ava finally gets moving.  Then finds out Marcus has assigned her ex-boyfriend to keep an eye on her..  What is going on?  Between him and her bestie Ruby, she's stymied at every turn.  Or is she?  With this, Ava is on her way again determined to solve a murder, even before the police have a change to investigate.  But with so many people who could be guilty, which one is the killer?

This is the fifth book in the series, and I am sorry to say that it is my first foray into Lisa Siefert's books.  I am sorry because this book is enchanting.  It's funny, witty, warm, and full of characters you will either love or hate; no in-betweens here.  With Christmas on the way soon, Ava has her hands full in more ways than one.  She has cupcakes to make, people to see, her cat Lucky who tries to keep her out of trouble but is right there with her more often than not...and a killer to catch.

There's a lot going on here, with a winter festival going on, her ex's mother Vivienne cornering her at every turn to do a 'favor' or two -- even if she doesn't want to (no one can say no to Vivienne); Ruby is giving up on love and willing to settle for any man who at least has a job (no, Ruby!); and her newest inheritance.  Oh, didn't I mention that?  Well, read the book.  You'll be glad you did.

When Ava does finally figure it out, it's almost too late for her; but the climax is done extremely well, and this book left me feeling so good that I immediately went back and read the first (and I will continue with this series).  In all, this is a great cozy and I look forward to the next.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Candy-Crimes-Frosted-Misfortunes-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0FDKQLJ21/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7917649815

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

Mrs. Morris and the Day of the Dead

A Salem B&B Mystery Book 10

Author:    Traci Wilton

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496748829

Kensington Cozies

368 Pages

$8.99; $7.99 Amazon

August 26, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Charlene and her spectral companion, Dr. Jack Strathmore, are moved by crystal healer Isabella Perez's story about her missing sister, Marisol, a talented psychic of uncommon natural gifts.  The spooky season is the ideal time to contact the departed for some answers, could someone from the other side reveal the truth about her disappearance... and the location of the priceless bejeweled statue she took with her?

Jack mistrusts Marisol's fiancé, Rico Flores, but any number of suspects had reason to wish Marisol ill, including an embittered stalker obsessed with the talented bruja, a jealous rival witch, and a shady businessman more given to more dirty tricks than treats.  Charlene's beau, Detective Sam Holden, is on the case, but unmasking the culprit may require an assist from beyond the grave.  Thank goodness it's Halloween, when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

After the death of her husband, Charlene Morris moved to Salem, Massachusetts and opened a B&B.  What she didn't know, however, was that the Victorian house she purchased came with its own permanent guest -- the ghost of the previous owner, Dr. Jack Strathmore.  Now Jack and Charlene have a close relationship with each other; after all, he gave up heaven to stay with her.  But in the ens,uing years, Charlene has fallen in love with an all-too-human man, Detective Sam Holden, who doesn't believe in ghosts.  Charlene has tried to tell him several times, but he refuses to believe.  Now Charlene's "adoptive" daughter Avery can see Jack, thanks to a recent bump on the head, but it's only the two of them and their cat, Silva.  

It's close to Halloween, and Charlene has a houseful of guests occupying every room.  Most of them are there to enjoy what Salem has to offer on this particular holiday (after all, where is a better place to be than Salem?); except two of them - Isabella Perez and her boyfriend, Rico Flores, are there to find out the truth about her elder sister Marisol's disappearance two years ago.  Isabella hopes that with the veil between the living and the dead being thinnest around Halloween, that she can contact Marisol for her own personal reasons.

It's not until a young woman is murdered during the graveyard tour, right in front of Charlene's guests, that Charlene thinks something very real and very sinister, is going on.  Now she knows that even though she has a lot to keep her occupied, she must try and tell Sam one more time about Jack, and hope that she can keep Jack from accidentally slipping away somewhere he isn't meant to be...

I have to say that I had a difficult time reading this because I knew it was the last in the series.  That and the fact that I was always team Jack.  Sam seemed hart to me, and Jack was much more easygoing.  I was always hoping that a second chance meant a second chance at life, but ah, well.  Needless to say, I was torn by the ending.  Don't get me wrong; it ended nicely.  I don't think I am giving anything away here since I have skimmed other reviews who have already stated it.

But the story was handled well, and it was as interesting as all the others.  There is plenty of action, and the characters are believable.  Some are likeable; some not so much.  But even the subplots concerning the guests are worth reading about.  

The mystery isn't easily solved.  There is a lot going on here, both with Charlene, her household, and people she knows.  You want the best for Isabella while hoping it all will work out for everyone else.  And the climax is all that we could wish for (well, some of us, anyway).  The ending is bittersweet, but the author does a remarkable job of bringing it all together for one final book.  Kudos to Ms. Wilton.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Mrs-Morris-Dead-Salem- Mystery-ebook/dp/B0DRB1VNMJ/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7897104148

More on Traci Wilton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/w/traci-wilton/

The 150 Healthiest Foods on the Earth

 The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why

Author:    Johnny Bowden, Ph.D.

Genre:     Health/Reference

Paperback; Digital Books

ISBN #:    9781592337644

Fair Winds Press

376 Pages

$22.11; #2.99Amazon

August 29, 2017

⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's time to debunk all the myths about foods we want to eat.  150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, Revised Edition delivers facts on foods; no spin, no agenda.  In this newly updated nutrition reference guide, acclaimed nutritionist and bestselling author Johnny Bowdon debunks traditional food myths, saves the reputations of foods long suffering bad publicity, and provides just the facts -- so you can make good, health-conscious decisions about which foods you and your family should eat.  You'    ll learn the latest research on many of your favorite foods, as well as some surprising new findings on the health benefits of foods you may have been avoiding unnecessarily.  Did you know that according to research:

    Saturated fat does not cause heart disease?

    Full-fat dairy may protect against diabetes?

    There is no need to avoid meat if it is one hundred percent grass fed?

    There is a major difference between farmed salmon and wild salmon?

No food provides everything.  But real food -- whole food with minimal processing -- contains a virtual pharmacy of nutrients, phytochemicals, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and healthful fats, all of which keep you alive and thriving.  Learn how easy it is to find "real" food and discover what more than a dozen well-known nutrition experts say are their "top ten" healthiest foods on earth.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

I liked the title of this book, and I am always on the lookout for healthy, good-tasting food.  Restaurants have flavorful dishes; but a lot of it is buried in sauces and fatty ingredients, so I choose carefully.  I was pleased to know that a lot of the food I keep at home is on this list.  At any given time, my refrigerator is filled with fruits and vegetables; some cheeses, and nitrate-free meats.  I am very careful about what I eat.

But this book added so much more to what I already knew.  Being a person who really doesn't like avocado (sorry, I just don't), unless it is in guacamole (I don't know why about that, either); I was looking for alternatives to healthy fats and this book provided that as well.

In the end, this has more than enough information on food that you should be able to decide what you want and keep a full refrigerator and pantry without giving up flavor.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/150-Healthiest-Foods-Earth-Revised-ebook/dp/B075NWRWDH/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7824652062

Scene:

 A Memoir

Author:    Abel Ferrara

Genre:     Autobiography/Entertainment

Hardcover: Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    971668097670

Simon & Schuster

272 Pages

$29.00; $14.99 Amazon

October 21, 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Throughout his five-decade career, film director Abel Ferrara -- now in his seventies -- has been one of cinema's most provocative and critically revered figures.  Since beginning as an independent filmmaker in Manhattan in the early 1970's -- before "indie films" were a genre -- and refining his craft as a director for the TV show Miami Vice, he has directed more than thirty feature films, most notably the cult classics Bad Lieutenant, King of New York, and Dangerous Game.

His work, often controversial for its depictions of sex, violence, and drugs, has been praised for its sincerity and depth, with critics noting that his films take spirituality and morality more seriously than most films do.  In Scene, Ferrara opens up about the inspiration for his creativity detailing his dramatic life journey, from his tough upbringing in the 1950s Bronx to reaching the pinnacle of his career while struggling with addition.  This memoir is not just a recounting of his life but a manifesto on what it means to be a true artist -- one who refuses to compromise and continues to create boundary pushing work.

Scene is a profound, beautiful, and inspiring account of an artist's relentless pursuit of creativity, making it a must-read for film fans and anyone interested in the gritty realities of the entertainment industry.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

First off, I will tell you that I am a huge film fan.  So much so, that I have hundreds of biographies of Hollywood, the Golden Era, actors, directors, studios, etc.  There isn't much that I haven't researched and read up to this point.  I will also tell you that I own thousands of films, most from the Golden Era of Hollywood.

Now I will tell you that occasionally I watch films that are from a later era, (anything past 1960) but not often.  I have heard very little of Mr. Ferrara, but being a fan of Christopher Walken, I have seen King of New York.  Giving you what I know (or did know before reading this) of Mr. Ferrara.  While this isn't the most fascinating memoir that I've read, it is the grittiest, digging deep into the soul of this director and who he is.

I don't believe in drugs and I don't drink, so my view may be skewed somewhat, but I never judge others on what they do in their private lives.  That's not for me to do.  Yet I felt something while reading this; something akin to empathy for him.  Struggling with addictions is always difficult; people don't always make it.  But surrounding yourself with others doing the same things perhaps isn't the best thing to do, so I couldn't feel sorry for him (Empathy and sorrow are two different things).

This memoir is raw, giving us everything from his being born and raised in the Bronx; living with a father who had addictions of his own; his family members, and people he knew along the way.  Some you won't like, others you might.  His upbringing wasn't easy.  But his journey to making films was never tempered, he always knew what he wanted to do.  He is not by any means a part of Hollywood, but the Indie scene captivated him in the fact that it allowed him to make the type of films he wants to.

Lastly, I will say that this memoir was definitely intriguing the more I read, and while his films might never be my favorites (as I stated above, I love the Golden Age of Hollywood), I know what part of his soul he put into making them, and that makes all the difference.  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/Scene-Memoir-Abel-Ferrara-ebook/dp/B0DV6HN8GB/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7866703556

More on Abel Ferrara:    https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001206/?ref_=fn_all_nme_1

The Little Lost Library

 A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel Book 7

Author:    Ellery Adams

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496743794; 9781496743800

Kensington Cozies

320 Pages

$11.43; $17.95; $10.86  Amazon

October 22, 2024

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When an elderly Miracle Springs resident, Lucille Wynter, arranges for Nora to deliver an order of books to her creepy, crumbling Southern Gothic mansion on the outskirts of town, Nora doesn't expect to be invited in.  An agoraphobic, Lucille doesn't leave Wynter House.  But when Lucille doesn't come to the door to collect her books, Nora begins to worry.

Forcing her way into Lucille's dilapidated home, Nora is shocked to finds rooms bursting with books and a lifeless Lucille at the foot of the stairs.  After reading a note left behind by Lucille, Nora wonders if her death was an accident.  Did she fall or was she pushed by someone seeking a valuable item hidden within Wynter House?  Lucille's children are clearly confident the house contains something of value, because they hire Nora to sift through the piles of books.

Nora's obsession with Lucille's collection becomes cause for concern among her friends in the Secret, Book, and Scone Society -- she's even neglecting her bookshop!  But Nora does find something valuable deep inside Wynter House -- a revelation about Lucille's terrible past...and a secret worth a small fortune.  But there's someone who'd do anything to keep the truth buried amid the moldering tomes, and it's up to Nora and her friends to track down a murderer before Wynter House's lost library claims another victim...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Nora Pennington owns a bookstore in Miracle Springs, North Carolina.  She's built a good life for herself with friends and the love of Sheriff Grant McCabe.  She has a great love of books, and regularly delivers them to the town recluse, Lucille Wynter.  Lucille lives in Wynter House, and doesn't ever leave it.  Nora isn't even allowed in the house after years of bringing her books.  They sit in the boot room, have tea, and talk about books.

But one day her delivery doesn't go right.  Lucille doesn't arrive on time, and Nora gets worried.  She calls her from the boot room and Lucille answers, asking for help.  Nora breaks down the door and finds Lucille at the bottom of the stairs, recently deceased.  When the police arrive, they find a house filled with books everywhere, and discover that Lucille was a hoarder.

But Officer Andrews gives Nora a package that Lucille had left for her.  Inside is a small book, and a note that tells her there is a little lost library in the house, and she must find it with clues.  But how is she to get into the house?  With the help of her antique dealer friend Bea, and Bea's niece Cricket, who owns a junk hauling business, Nora makes the decision to find the library, even if it puts her in danger...

I absolutely loved this book best out of all in the series.  Maybe because I love mysteries, but this was more a mystery within a mystery -- who killed Lucille, and where is the library -- and that intrigued me to no end.  Unfortunately, Nora doesn't realize how dangerous a game she is playing.  It isn't until another tragedy occurs closer to home that Nora realizes she has to involve McCabe, who isn't happy that she didn't let him know right away.

On top of it all, someone is stealing books from her store, and she can't figure out who it is.  But with the help of good friends around, nothing is impossible...

Nora is digging through the crowed house for clues, and they aren't easy to find; especially since the house is in such bad shape and filled to the brim.  But when she starts digging, she finds that the clues are leading to a deeper tragedy still, and that makes all the difference in this story.  We are pulled into the tale, wanting to know the truth, and being given answers slowly, which only make us want more.

I will say that I knew the murderer very quickly, but the reasons eluded me, which isn't a bad thing, as I love to probe for the truth as much as Nora.  When the ending comes, it all weaves together tightly, and the story has a very nice ending, leaving us waiting for 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/Little-Library-Secret-Scone-Society-ebook/dp/B0CTDKBXZH/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7849663450

More on Ellery Adams's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/ellery-adams/