Death and Sweets (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781719854085

Independently Published

136 Pages

$7.99; $2.99 Amazon

August 22, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

Sweets can be deadly and when local bakery owner Stella Moretti becomes the next victim in Pumpkin Hollow, Mia Jordan is on the case.  Can she and her boyfriend, Officer Ethan Banks, find the killer before there's another victim?  Sweets can be deadly all right, but that's the way the cookie crumbles...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan moved back home after ten years away and not being able to decide what to do with herself.  Now she's settled back into Pumpkin Hollow again, living on her own and working in her family's candy store.  She also has a new boyfriend in the form of Officer Ethan Banks, whom wasn't very nice to her in school but has turned out to be very nice indeed...

Once morning while passing Stella Moretti's bakery, she finds the door ajar and the lights off.  Calling for Stella, she finds her dead with a bullet wound to the chest.  Yes, the woman was cantankerous to everyone and hated Halloween, but she didn't deserve to die.  Now Mia and Ethan are back looking for a killer, and Mia doesn't want to believe it might be anyone she knows, but she also knows finding out could get her killed...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have been reading them because it's the Halloween season and I like to 'read the season.'  While I have enjoyed the books thus far, I am beginning to dislike Mia.  She seems to have a 'holier than thou' attitude to others.  I do agree that you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but it's not her place to correct anyone who does.  It is not her place to make others feel guilty for having the feelings they do.  Maybe people should correct her for her attitude a few times and it will change.  Just sayin'

Anyway, the other thing that bothers me is the fact she mentions how Boo is her cat, but she allows him to live outside?  What kind of cat caretaker is she?  Cats that live outside have a shorter life span and catch more diseases.  Cats are easy to care for, and being inside they are happier, given enough toys and places to scratch and climb.  I've been a pet owner (cats, dogs, fish, turtles, birds, etc. -- you name it, I've probably owned it) all my life, and all my cats have been indoor cats and lived to ripe old ages.  This always bothers me in books, but I won't ding the author for it; that would be unfair.  This one is just my opinion.

Anyway, while Mia is looking for suspects, the victim's husband Vince is at the top of the list, since he doesn't seem to be mourning his wife very much; but there are others, including Stella's sister Daisy, who wasn't happy about Stella purchasing the bakery and then not participating in the Halloween season.  But did either of them have a reason strong enough to kill Stella?  Mia doesn't know, and neither does Ethan.  But both of them are pursuing the matter...as well as pursuing their new relationship with each other, which is moving along nicely.

When we come to the end of the book and discover the murderer, the clues were all there all along, but you need to look for them and read the words.  While I didn't think it was a strong enough reason for murder, who knows what goes on in the mind of a killer?  Still, this was a quick read and I will probably continue with the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Sweets-Pumpkin-Hollow-Mystery/dp/1719854084/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4314958088

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Hemlock for the Holidays (A Fine Art Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Paula Darnell

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover (LP); Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781887402248; 9781887402231

Campbell and Rogers Press

259 Pages

$19.63; $15.95; $3.99 Amazon

September 7, 2021

⭐⭐⭐

As Lonesome Valley kicks off the holiday season with its annual parade, artist Amanda Trent embraces the Christmas spirit, happy that her family will be coming to town to celebrate the season with her and her loyal pets, Laddie, a friendly golden retriever, and Mona Lisa, an independent calico cat.

Amanda has just one nagging concern: her art sales have stalled, so her checking account is starting to look a bit puny.  Her financial woes pale, though, in comparison to her concern when several people eat carrot bars laced with hemlock at the high school's arts and crafts fair, resulting in one unlucky man's death.  Was the poisoning an accident, or did someone with evil intent deliberately spike the sweet baked goods?

Leads the police follow don't pan out until Amanda puts the puzzle together.  But, sometimes, knowledge can be a dangerous thing...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Amanda Trent moved to Lonesome Valley, Arizona after her marriage fell apart.  She's trying to make a new life for herself as an artist, but is struggling to make ends meet.  She's displaying her artwork at the Roadrunner Gallery, where she also works part-time.  While working at the high school's arts and crafts fair, some people fall ill from eating poisoned carrot bars, but luckily, they survive.

When she and her friend Susan visit a widower named Eric because he asked Susan to stop by so he could show her something, they find the house locked up tight.  But looking in the window, they see Eric on the floor and call the police.  When the police enter the house, it's too late for Eric, who also seems to have consumed the bars.  Now Amanda is wondering if it was a deliberate poisoning or just an accident, and who would have wanted the kind widower dead?  Unfortunately, looking into murder can kill you...

This is the third book in the series and I have not read the other two, so I can only review on this book, which gives me several questions.  Why did she leave Kansas City without demanding her husband sell the home and give her half the proceeds?  They were married almost thirty years, she deserves that; or at least give her a decent settlement so she doesn't have to struggle?  This doesn't make any sense.

Another thing that bothered me -- and almost made me put the book aside -- was the fact that when the police entered the crime scene, they allowed five people to enter the house behind them.  No, in reality, this would not be.  The police would insist everyone stay outside, not in the kitchen, as it would be considered part of the crime scene.  Sloppy police work.  The third, and last thing, is why was the mayor interfering in the issue of building permits?  It's not her job, and could be considered an ethics violation, causing her to be removed of her position.  Think, authors...sorry, but I pay attention to details, and notice little things others might not.  That being said...

Amanda is getting ready for the holidays and is excited to celebrate her first Christmas in her new tiny house.  Her son and daughter are coming, and so are her parents, who live in Florida.  But there's a lot to do, and she would really like to sell a painting or two to help cover the costs and keep her warm over the winter months.  Finding the body didn't help any, especially when the lead detective isn't fond of her and won't listen to any clues she hands him.  But Amanda plugs on, and looks for clues where she can.

Much of the book was normal conversation between Amanda and her friends, and perhaps it could have been shortened without these conversations, as they had nothing to do with a murder investigation.  They slowed the book down, and it took me two days to read this, when I can normally finish a book a day.  The mystery wasn't given the time it deserved, so the clues were few and far between, and it seemed the motive came out of the blue, since the murderer didn't appear to have any reason to 'do in'

the victim.  However, it gave a satisfactory ending, with something to look forward to in the next book.

Aside from what I've mentioned above, the writing flowed smoothly eventually and I will more than likely read the others in the series.

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/Hemlock-Holidays-Fine-Art-Mystery/dp/1887402233/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4313572304

More on Paula Darnell's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/paula-darnell/

Death by Beach Read (A Lighthouse Library Mystery Book 9)

Author:    Eva Gates

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781643859101

Crooked Lane Books

288 Pages

$26.99; $12.99 Amazon

June 7, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's spring in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and Lucy and Connor have moved into their new home at last, a historic cottage on the Nags Head Beach.  The house needs a lot of renovations, but they worked hard over the winter to get it ready.  Lucy is now happily immersed in her work at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, planning her wedding, and decorating the house.  That is, until a dead body disrupts their peaceful new abode.

The first night Lucy's alone in the house, with the company of Charles the library cat, she hears sounds.  Investigating, they see footsteps in the dust of the unfinished living room, and the door to the outside is open.  Lucy's reminded that the house is said to be haunted.  Forty years ago the teenage daughter of the owners fled in the night, and never again stepped foot inside her family home.

But the sounds have an all-too-human origin and one evening Lucy and Connor find the dead body of a man they don't even recognize in the kitchen.  They soon realize he has a long-time connection to their house.  Lucy's forced to find out what happened all those years ago and why it's threatening her happiness today.

Meanwhile, the Classic Novel Reading Club is reading The House of the Seven Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a book about another old house full of secrets.  Can Lucy find parallels to her own situation in Hawthorne's fiction before the killer strikes again?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Richardson and Connor MacNeil are engaged, and have found a house in which to begin their life together.  It's a beach cottage previously owned by Ralph Harper, the cottage has sat empty for decades, not wanted by Ralph nor his sister Jo, but he's refused to sell until now, stating that he knows Lucy and Connor will take care of the home.

But since it's been empty, there are many renovations that need to be done, and are being handled by Connor and his father, Fred.  Still, Lucy doesn't mind living in the home while everything is being fixed, and her co-worker Louise Jane is ecstatic because now she's living in the library loft once occupied by Lucy.  But it doesn't stop Louise Jane from telling tales about the house, especially that it's haunted.  While Lucy refuses to listen, one night while Connor is out of town she hears noises, and awakens to find footprints in the dust in the living area and her patio door ajar.  Not telling Connor, she still refuses to believe it's a ghost.

But when Connor returns home and they go out one evening, they return to the house only to find a dead body in the kitchen -- which turns out to be the twin brother of Ralph Harper.  Jimmy Harper has been gone for decades, the black sheep of the family  who's spent time in jail for various crimes. 
They've come to believe that he was searching for something valuable, but everything worth anything Ralph has already removed.  To add to the mystery, Jo hasn't stepped foot in the house for decades, ever since she was chased away by the ghost of her grandfather.  Since then, she's lived with Ralph and refused to leave the house except for short walks.  Now Lucy wants to know who's going into her home when she's away, and more importantly, who is the person who killed Jimmy, and why? 

This is the ninth book in the series and I have read them all.  In my opinion, this is the best of the series. I love mysteries, and I especially love historical mysteries within them.  Since the original mystery is decades old, that needs to be solved also, and Lucy is on top of both.  She likes Ralph and when she meets his sister Jo, she likes her too, and doesn't want to believe that either one of them killed Jimmy.  But the suspect list is sparse, since there aren't a lot of people around who knew the man and would have a reason forty years later to kill him.

Yet there most definitely is someone stalking Lucy, and she wants to know who it is, and why.  She can't put her head to planning her wedding or decorating her new home until she knows what is going on, and she's not getting the information she needs from the Harpers.

I think part of the reason I like this book the best is the fact that Lucy finally grows a spine and stands up to people.  It's about time that she stopped allowing everyone to walk all over her and push her around just because it was the path of easiest resistance.  It's good seeing this 'new' Lucy; she finally is able to say no to people and it helps in her investigation.  It also strengthens (believe it or not) her relationship with Louise Jane, who had always pretty much been a nemesis until this point.

In the end, when the killer is revealed, it comes as a surprise, which is a good thing, and the reasons are as old as time itself.  The mystery is solved (as we know it will be) and Lucy and Connor can look forward once again to planning their wedding, and I hope that we as readers will be right there with them.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Death-Beach-Lighthouse-Library-Mystery/dp/1643859102/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4309116292

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

Chocolate Covered Murder (A Pumpkin Hollow Mystery Book 3)

Author:    Kathleen Suzette

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781718099005

Independently Published

162 Pages

$8.99; $2.99 Amazon

August 10, 2018

⭐⭐⭐

When local businessman, Greg Richardson, is found murdered in the haunted house, the rumors of a curse on the town fly.  Can Mia Jordan squelch the rumors before the tourists get wind of them?

Mia and Officer Ethan Banks are on the case to solve the murder and they'll do everything they can to find the killer.  Mia befriends a stray black cat and the romance between Mia and Ethan is heating up.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Mia Jordan returned home after college when she couldn't settle on what she wanted to do with her life.  Now she's living at home and once again working in her family's candy shop.  But since she's been back, there have been a couple of murders which she helped solve, and she's just starting a romance with Officer Ethan Banks, so she has that to look forward to.

She lives in Pumpkin Hollow, California, which celebrates Halloween all year round.  While there are some citizens who want it to end, the majority of those living there are happy with it, since they get a lot of business from tourists who travel there.

But once again murder rears its ugly head when local businessman Greg Richardson is found dead in the haunted house, stabbed with a spear from one of the exhibits.  With no actual suspects but plenty of rumors as to might have wanted him out of the way, Mia and Ethan set forth to find another killer -- and hope this won't hurt the town's tourism, or the killer won't strike again...

This is the third book in the series and I am reading them because I am "reading the season" as it were.  So far, this is the weakest link.  The murders are occurring a couple of weeks from each other, so it seems that every citizen in the town is either going to become a victim or a killer.  Space them out!  It will make the series more interesting.

Also, I get that Mia and Ethan are becoming close, but in this book she's one step away from being a stalker.  You will have to read the book to understand what I am talking about, but if I were Ethan, I'd be worrying about it.

Also, police officers DO NOT allow citizens to "tag along" when they're interviewing suspects or witnesses, or investigating murder scenes.  This should have been stopped in the first book, but it wasn't.  Now she goes everywhere with him, and it's beginning to look like she's an officer, too.  Mia needs to go to the academy if she keeps this up.  Just sayin'

At any rate, this was an easy read and I liked the addition of the cat, but to keep it safe it should be made an indoor cat only.  The story line was interesting and the writing was fine, and I am glad that another issue was finally resolved.  When the killer was discovered it wasn't that much of a surprise to me, but I do read a lot of these, so there's that.  All in all, it was a quick read that can be read in a couple of hours, and I will probably read the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/Chocolate-Covered-Murder-Pumpkin-Mystery/dp/1718099002/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4303973362

More on Kathleen Suzette's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/kathleen-suzette/

Be My Ghost (A Haunted Haven Mystery Book 1)

Author:    Carol J. Perry

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Trade Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496731357

Kensington Publishing

288 Pages

$13.99; $8.27 Amazon

August 31, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Maureen Doherty and her golden retriever Finn have taken possession of a charming old inn -- only to discover that it's already possessed by tenants whose lease on life already ran out...

Maureen's career as a clothing buyer hits a snag just before Halloween, when the department store declares bankruptcy.  Meanwhile, Finn's lost his way as a guide dog after flunking his test for being too friendly and easily distracted.  Sadly, only one of them can get unemployment, so Maureen's facing ar  winter of discontent in Boston -- when she realizes she can't afford her apartment.

Salvation comes when she receives a mysterious inheritance: an inn in Haven, Florida.  A quaint, scenic town on the Gulf of Mexico hidden away from the theme parks.  Maureen believes it's a good place to make a fresh start with a new business venture.  But she gets more than she bargained for when she finds a dead body on her property -- and meets some of the inn's everlasting tenants in the form of ghosts who offer their otherworldly talents in order to help her solve the mystery...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Maureen Doherty loses her job as a clothing buyer in an upscale department store in Boston when the store closes.  But then she receives an odd letter from a legal firm in Haven, Florida, stating that she's inherited an old inn and the remaining fortune of the late tenant.  Packing up her things and her golden retriever, Finn, she heads for the sunny south to start a new life.

But when she arrives she finds the fortune isn't all that much; the inn is in need of a lot of work; several elderly people live on site in return for working there, and the manager seems to have nothing but disdain for her -- taking over the previous owner's office and giving Maureen room 27 -- which is reputed to be haunted by a nasty spirit. 

After barely settling in she finds the body of a reputed ghost hunter on her front porch, and it seems he's been poisoned -- shortly after having a drink in the hotel's bar.  Now the police are on her tail, wondering if Lorna or one of her employees could be the murderer.  Could things get any worse?

Apparently so.  She gets another big surprise when she finds that her own suite is haunted by a B startlet from Hollywood's Golden Era - Lorna DuBois.  After proclaiming she doesn't believe in ghosts, she finds herself talking to Lorna and asking her advice.  Between talking to a ghost and being a suspect on the police's radar for murder, Maureen's in a pickle, and if she can't find a murderer, her stay in Florida isn't going to be pleasant -- from the inside of a jail...

This is the first book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it immensely.  I love books with ghosts (friendly) and I loved the plot in this one.  It was a lot of fun to read, and the fact that Maureen goes through a lot of changes and seems to accept them shows me that she's able to give in situations and not afraid to take risks.  She's a lovely person, and her dog is quite a character, too.

The elderly tenants are a hoot, but they in turn know what they're doing and who to talk to and whom not to.  Gert is the funniest, but the others have their value also.  I do like Ted quite a bit, he's open to new things and hopefully, will become Maureen's permanent partner-in-crime, if you know what I mean.  Both romantically and in sleuthing.

I was able to follow the mystery easily and pretty much knew who the murderer was, and the reason behind it wasn't difficult to figure out; but I read a lot of mysteries so I'm always on the lookout for those things anyway.

When the ending comes it was done nicely and with everything falling into place right where it's supposed to.  Again, I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series soon.  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/Be-Ghost-Haunted-Haven-Mystery/dp/1496731352/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4299635100

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

Murder and Grits (Savory Mystery Series Book 1)

Author:    Karen McSpade

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B09DC1LQ8N

Newcastle Media

54 Pages

$.99 Amazon

October 19. 2021

⭐⭐⭐

Going undercover just got complicated... 

She's a Chicago detective hiding in a Gulf Coast town.  When a dognapping and murder shake up the local community, Piper Sandstone finds herself tangled in the mystery.  Now, keeping a low profile is not an option anymore if she wants to survive.

After solving a case involving dirty cops, Piper is forced to hide out in Savory, Alabama until the corrupt officers land behind bars.

Savory, better known as Alligator Alley, is not your typical tourist attraction Gulf Coast town.  Why?  Because it's home to the three-time AKC champion poodle Victory Cup Valentino, but this year bad things are about to go down.  Even before Piper can get unpacked, there is a murder, and the poodle goes missing right before the Westminster Dog Show. 

Suspicions run high, especially with two other newcomers with very sketchy backstories showing up in town.  But before Piper can get any answers, all hell breaks loose when a body turns up in the bayou and she's at the center of the crime scene.

Fortunately for Piper, a group of retired ladies known and the Dentures and Diamonds Crime Squad is on her side, and they are a force to be reckoned with.  Now, they must work together to solve the crime and stop the murderer before they end up in a body bag.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Piper Sandstone is a Chicago detective who crossed some bad guys when she outed some corrupt cops, and now has to hide out in small-town Savory, Alabama and work as a waitress until she's called home.  She doesn't like it much, but she's willing to do whatever it takes to get back and stay alive.  Unfortunately, there's a dognapping while she's there of an AKC dog, and along with the help of several elderly women who want to solve it, Piper will help as much as she can without blowing her cover...

This is the first book in the Piper Sandstone mysteries, and I really am not sure what to make of it.  It's pretty short -- only 54 pages -- which is not enough to flesh out any characters, including Piper.  Almost all of this is concerned with Piper's inner thoughts, and we don't really get a feel for her character, or why she's there.  It's not mentioned in the story, only in the blurb, so that's how it was figured out.

At any rate, this is more of the first of an episodic serial, and you will have to read the others to find out what happens to Piper.  While I want to know, I'm not sure what to make of this; however, it is an interesting introduction into Piper and her newfound elderly friends down in 'Alligator Alley.'

I was given an advance copy of this story from the author but this in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Grits-Sandstone-Mystery-contemporary-ebook/dp/B09DC1LQ8N/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4296475673

More on Karen McSpade's Books:    https://www.amazon.com/Karen-McSpade/e/B09DC7RK3H/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

Played ( Paranormal Penny Nicols Cozy Mysteries Book 5)

Author:    Sarah Hualde

Genre:     Mystery/Paranormal

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B08HYTT2TK

Indie Christian Writers

130 Pages

$3.99 Amazon

October 19, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A journey into the past has Penny spinning...

and the Raven plotting.

Chasing the trail of the PI who stalked her, Penny returns to her old haunts -- no matter how painful the trip might be.  Old friends and secret enemies surface in the last place Penny called home.  Her glimpses come out to play with a few new twists and tricks.

Can Penny find whoever is searching for her before the Raven shuts down her investigation -- forever?

One thing is for sure: the Raven loathes a reunion.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Penny Nicols has a 'gift,' but doesn't like it much.  She can tell when someone is about to die -- usually by seeing a Raven somewhere on or near them.  She moves around a lot, because it avoids the questions that usually follow -- questions she doesn't want to answer or people might not believe.  She lives in an old VW bus, along with her cat, Spades, and tries to keep to herself, earning just enough money to live on.

Currently she's working as a barista in a coffee shop for Ken and Janice, the owners; and their lazy son, Terrence.  When Janice asks her to breakfast one morning, Penny sees the Raven -- her harbinger of death -- near Janice.  Now she needs to find a way to keep Janice alive.  But if she does that, it might anger the Raven, and someone else might die.  How can she save everyone?  Obviously, she can't...

This is the first book in the series that I've read, and I must say that I found it quite interesting.  The plot line is different, and our protagonist has a gift I've never read before.  Not that it would be nice knowing her at all; not with her 'issue' hovering about; but the book itself is quite a good read, and I did enjoy it immensely.

I won't say too much more as to give away the entire plot, but I will say that it was nicely done, with many surprises along the way, and most of those only adding to Penny's problems.  She finds herself in the midst of something totally unexpected, and her main goal is keeping herself alive along the way.  When the ending comes, it is both sad and hopeful, as we want Penny to gain the things she's been looking for, and maybe hope comes in the most unexpected sources.  Recommended.

I received an advance copy from the author and Booksprout, but it in no way influenced my review.

https://www.amazon.com/Played-raises-stakes-Paranormal-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B09HYTT2TK/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4296410230

More on Sarah Hualde's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/sarah-hualde/