Halloween at Pumpkin Hill (Inn Vermont Cozy Mysteries Book 7)

Author:    Thea Cambert

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798473904451

Independently Published

158 Pages

$6.99; $3.99 Amazon

September 9, 2021

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sometimes truth is more mysterious than fiction.

It's Halloween in Williamsbridge, Vermont, and the whole town is getting ready for the annual Spookfest celebration.  With jack-o-lanterns scattered all over Pumpkin Hill, the inn full of guests, and a cozy chill in the air, Eloise and Matthew are all set for a wonderful weekend.  But spooky turns scary when they discover a body while judging the downtown decorating contest.  And when what had appeared to be an accidental death turns out to be murder, El and Matthew will have to track down the killer.

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Eloise and Matthew both help El's mother run the Inn Vermont, El's home that her mother turned into a B&B shortly after her father's death.  Decorating the inn is all done, and they, along with the mayor, are all set to judge the businesses downtown's decorating contests.  But when they come to a new business that deals with exotic pets, they find the owner, dressed like a vampire, dead in a coffin.  Once the local doctor determines that it's murder, both of them decide that they need, once again, to help the police figure it out.

But when they start digging, they discover that there is more than one suspect, and all of them have a motive to want the man dead,  The question is, who actually killed him?

This is the seventh book in the series, and I must admit that I have not read them all.  I usually read Ms. Cambert's works when I need something light and easy, and these books fill the bill.  They are well-written, full of interesting characters, and the plot lines, while not dark, are fun to read.  She has become one of my favorite writers.  Partly because I suffer from depression, and reading her books helps me in more ways than one.

In this book, everyone is having a fun Halloween, and after finding the body, Eloise discovers something else in the store that brings her joy of her own.  Matthew is even happy with it, and I'm not going to say what it is so as not to ruin the book for others who have not read this.

They involve themselves in Halloween activities while still keeping an eye on all their suspects; and while there isn't a lot of red herrings, there are still secrets that come to light.  When the murderer is discovered, the reason why seems both petty and as old as time.

The ending has one more surprise, and gives you meaning to read the next in the series.  Recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09FVRT21Z?ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5073971465

More on Thea Cambert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/thea-cambert/

Paper Cuts (A Secret, Book, and Scone Society Novel Book 6)

Author:    Ellery Adams

Genre:     Mystery

Hardcover; Digital Book

ISBN#:    9781496726476

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$27.00; $13.77 Amazon

April 25, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nora escaped her past a decade ago.  So it feels like a visit from another world when Kelly Walsh -- the woman her ex-husband left her for -- walks through the front door of Miracle Books along with her son, a sweet, serious boy with a talent for origami.  Kelly hasn't come to gloat, though.  As it turns out, she's been dumped, too.  She's also terribly ill, and all she wants from Nora is forgiveness.

Shockingly, however, the woman who's been the victim of so much misfortune is about to become a murder victim.  Who would do such a thing?  Certainly not Nora.  But that doesn't stop the gossip and suspection -- especially after Kelly's sister-in-law claims that she saw the two women arguing.

In seeking justice for Kelly, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society joins forces with the sheriff's department, but they've barely begun their probe when life throws another wrench.  After serving a fifteen-year sentence, Estella's father returns to Miracle Springs.  And when his past comes back to haunt him, it might be more than the four friends can handle.

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Nora Pennington, owner of Miracle Books in Miracle Springs, North Carolina, has finally achieved peace in her life.  After finding out her husband of ten years was cheating on her, she had a devastating accident that left her with scars both physical and emotional.  Some she's never been able to put away permanently.  But her best friends -- June, Estella, and Hester -- all have scars of their own, and it's a daily battle for the foursome to believe that life can give them something to offer.  

When a woman enters Nora's bookstore, she has a young son who seems focused only on the books with origami.  Kelly Walsh states that she's just moved to town and her son doesn't interact with people very well.  Nora has empathy for the young man, and promises to order more books for the boy.  

Then Estella's dad is being released, and she's worried about what he can find as a job, wanting to keep him from going back.  But that's not all:  Nora eventually finds out her ex-husband is in town, and she plans to avoid him at all cost...

After discovering that Kelly is the woman who broke up her marriage, she wants nothing to do with her.  But it's an early morning visit from the police that wake her up, telling her Kelly is dead.  Only later does Nora discover that Kelly was murdered, and a witness insists that shortly before the murder, she saw Nora arguing with the woman.

Now Nora is a suspect in the murder, and her beau Sheriff Grant McCabe needs to stay away from her during the investigation, although he doesn't believe a word of it.  Can her friends help her stay out of jail?  If not, Nora might just spend her days and nights in solitary...

This is the sixth book in the series, and perhaps the best of the lot.  I've come to care for these four women who still carry the scars of their early lives and have come to depend upon one another for their strength.  Each one has a secret that haunts them, and together they form a force of nature.  Now Nora is in trouble, and they won't stand by idly while she's in trouble.

But finding the murderer isn't easy: it would be easier to find a coyote in the wilderness, or so it seems.  There is more at stake than just Nora's life, and they need to find the core of what it is.  The subplot of Estella's father Gus becomes part of the story, and Nora learns that All Is Not As It Appears.  When she starts to put the pieces together, what she discovers stuns her; it could change everything, and she wonders if her perceptions are correct.

There were parts of this book that brought tears to my eyes.  I emphasized with Nora in so many places, and my heart ached for her pain.  Sometimes outer scars can't truly give the story of those that remain inside us, and Nora is an example of that.  Her decision to carry those outer scars truly shows her character.

Each one of these books is unique.  It tells its own story within stories, and each one touches me.  When I find these books, nothing will stop me from reading them.  I even bypass cooking dinner to read these (and my husband knows it so orders takeout -- luckily, he understands my love of the series).  These are women I would love to meet, and I would love to reside in this town.  But it is the compassion, warmth, and kindness of four damaged women that touches me the most.

All in all between her friends, Nora sees that the truth is right in front of her.  And in the end, it comes together with each piece layering upon the other; until you can see the final picture.  It is a marvelous addition to the story and its peoples, and I cannot wait until the next is written.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Paper-Secret-Scone-Society-Novel/dp/1496726472/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5071947624

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

A Flicker of a Doubt (Fairy Garden Mystery Book 4)

Author:    Daryl Wood Gerber

Genre:     Mystery/Fantasy

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781496741271

Kensington Cozies

304 Pages

$16.95; $9.99 Amazon

March 28, 2023

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With a theater foundation tea and an art show planned at Violet Vicker'.  estate, Courtney is hired to create charming fairy gardens for the event.  It's not so charming, however, when her best friend Meaghan's ex-boyfriend turns out to be Violet's latest artistic protégé.  Even worse, not long after Meaghan locks horns with him, his body is found in her yard, bludgeoned with an objet d'murder.

There's a gallery of suspects, from an unstable former flame to an arts and crafts teacher with a sketchy past.  But when the cops focus on Meaghan's business partner, who's like a protective older brother to her, and discover he also has a secret financial motive.  Courtney decides to draw her own conclusions.  Fearing they're missing the forest for the trees, and with some help from Fiona the sleuthing fairy, she hopes to make them see the light...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Courtney is happy with her life.  She has her fairy garden shop which is doing well, a boyfriend in restaurateur Brady Cash, and a new job for wealthy Violet Vickers -- turning her lawn into a giant fairy garden.  With her father as the landscaper, she can't be happier.  Everything is going smoothly, until her friend Meaghan runs into her shop in a panic.

It seems Meaghan's ex-boyfriend Nicholas has returned to town and he wants Meaghan back.  Even though she states she's not interested, the man won't give up.  Then someone else, an invited guest to Violet's soiree, turns up and Courtney's life takes an unexpected turn.  But when Nicholas winds up murdered in Meaghan's yard, the suspects seem a little too close to home, including Meaghan's business partner, Ziggy.  While Courtney and others are convinced he's innocent, the police have evidence.  So what's a girl to do except try and find a killer?...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read and enjoyed them all.  This one, however, might actually be the best of them.  We get to learn a little more about Fiona, Courtney's fairy, and that point is more interesting than not.  I certainly am rooting for her all the way.

But back to the murder:  some suspects are unexpected, while others are right there in front of us.  The story is indeed done extremely well; the mystery is deep and twisted one way and then another.  You must keep your brain moving to discover clues and keep them together; they are there, but threaded through the story and not falling one after another.

Surprisingly, while more than one person is upset by Nicholas's death, we learn that he was not all he appeared.  His past was shaded with abuse to others, and he had more than one skeleton in his closet.  Yet, for some reason, women seemed to flock to him.  Could this have been his undoing, or was it something else?

I hesitate to add more of my impressions of this book, since I do not want to spoil it for others.  Just know that there are so many subplots in this mystery, and yet all of them tie into the murder.  The tapestry comes together one thread at a time, and when it is done, you feel rather sad yet understand.  It is the fine melding of clues that create the art, and in the end, you wish for more.  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/Flicker-Doubt-Fairy-Garden-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0B6DBQ5CM/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5064419149

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

Grilled 4 Murder (A Sophie Kimball Mystery Book 10)

Author:    J.C. Eaton

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9781958384855

Beyond the Page Publishing

208 Pages

$14.99; $3.99 Amazon

November 8, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sun City West is abuzz with the news that the Food Network is sponsoring a local barbecut cook-off and that Phee's friends from the pinochle club are in the finals.  But the mood soon darkens when the county planning committee announces a plan to situate a new garbage transfer station on the town's edge.  With tempers flaring and rumors of corruption swirling, it comes as little surprise with the committee's chair, who happens to be a finalist in the cook-off, is found murdered.

When Phee's friends are named as the most likely suspects, she knows the accusation stinks to high heaven.  As she navigates a world of politics and payoffs, she discovers there are any number of community members, along with the committee itself, who had a reason to want the chair dead.  With the barbecue contest in full swing and celebrity chefs on hand to judge, Phee will have to sniff out the clues, no matter how noxious, to catch a killer...

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Sophie "Phee" Kimball-Gregory has barely returned from her honeymoon when the call from her mother comes in: there's going to be a barbecue cook-off between two teams, each trying to take the big prize from the Food Network.  But she's more excited that she and her friend Myrna will be on the air during the cook-off.  Unfortunately, so will their friend Paul, who talks about nothing but fish.

Then her mother learns that they want to put a garbage transfer station behind where she lives, and everything turns into chaos, especially when they learn that the committee chair is all for it -- and one of the barbecue competitors.  But then the man dies, and the biggest suspect is her friend from the pinochle club, and she's back in the middle of another murder investigation.

What follows is one of the strangest comedy of errors that I've ever been witness to read, and it was completely hilarious.  Especially Phee's inner conversations with herself.  I pity the poor woman.  Not to mention that Chiweenie Streetman has more than enough to keep him busy, and seeing what Phee's mother Harriet does on that front is one of the best parts of the book.

The turmoil includes, but is not limited to, dead fish, moose urine, the book club ladies going off the deep end, theft, protests -- well, I hope you get the idea.  It's enough to give you a raging headache!  But boy, is it fun to read.  I think the authors have outdone themselves in this book.

When the ending comes and everything is revealed, it's entirely complex and leaves Phee grateful she doesn't work for the police.  Will she finally have peace and quiet?  Will Harriet stop calling her constantly?  I guess you'll have to read the book to find out.  But don't peek to the end -- you'll enjoy the book more.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Grilled-Murder-Sophie-Kimball-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BHKP1321/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5060579079

More on J.C. Eaton's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/e/j-c-eaton/

Murder In A Cape Cottage (A Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery #4)

Author:    Maddie Day

Genre:     Mystery

Mass Market Paperback; Digital Book (Audiobook Available)

ISBN #:    9781496735676

Kensington Publishing

320 Pages

$7.99; $6.99 Amazon

September 22, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Tis the day after Christmas, following a wicked-busy time of year for Mac's bike shop.  It's just as well her Cozy Capers Book Group's new pick is a nerve-soothing coloring book mystery, especially when she has last-minute wedding planning to do.  But all pre-wedding jitters fade into the background when Mac and her fiancé, Tim, begin a cottage renovation project and open up a wall to find a skeleton -- sitting on a stool, dressed in an old-fashioned wedding gown.

As Mac delves into the decades-old mystery with the help of librarian Flo and her brook group, she discovers a story of star-crossed lovers and feuding families worthy of the bard himself.  Yet this tale has a modern-day villain still lurking in Mac's quaint seaside town, ready to make this a murderous New Year's Eve...

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Mackenzie 'Mac' Almeida is getting ready for her wedding to fiancé Tim Brunelle.  But before the wedding, they want to at least knock down a few walls in their home to make ready for a new, larger bathroom.  Unfortunately, when one of the walls is opened, they discover a skeleton of a woman in what remains of a wedding dress, sitting on a stool.  Now Mac is not only horrified, she needs to find out who did this, and why.  Delving into the home's past and who owned it at the supposed time of the woman's death is a start...

With the help of her book club members, between them they might just be able to solve this mystery.  When they discover her identity, it starts to rock some families in the community.  But with her nuptials coming up fast, and meeting Tim's parents for the first time, will Mac be able to solve this?  Or will the sad story remain just that...

This is the fourth book in the series and I have read them all.  This one is by far my favorite.  Anyone who knows me knows that I love a mystery-within-a-mystery, especially if it is from long ago.  The moment the skeleton was discovered, I was hooked.  I wanted as much as Mac to find the truth in this, and solve it right along with her.

When the clues started turning up, I was mentally keeping them in order, so that I might solve it first.  But they were so well done that I really didn't need to.  The story is indeed a sad -- albeit horrific -- tale of murder.  The motives as old as time itself.  But to do such a thing one must have evil inside them, and evil is in the hearts of man, and one cannot see in others' hearts.

The mystery itself was done extremely well.  Mac was able to keep her personal life moving smoothly (although it might not have seemed so) at the same time as trying to solve the decades-old murder.  She was nervous about her wedding (who isn't?) but managed to make sure everything was in order.  At the same time, she was depending on her book club members who were adding what information they could, especially Flo (bless her heart); who, by being a librarian, had access to more than the others.

My only complaint, and this is a personal one, no bearing on the book, is that I have always wondered why these characters drink so much.  Never tea nor water, just wine and booze; and no physical complaints from doing so.  I guess part of it is because I love iced tea and flavored water, and even milk.  The other part is I'd like to see them stay sober once in a while.  Ah, well.  This is my personal opinion and I would never ding the author for it!

At the end, when we discover the murderer we see how cold-hearted one can be, and what people will do when they think they are doing right.  Very sad, but very satisfying as far as ending goes.  I do love this series and look forward to the next.  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/Murder-Cottage-Capers-Group-Mystery-ebook/dp/B09PJ1JFL8/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5053192535

More on Maddie Day's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/maddie-day/

Murder Says 'I Do' (Rooftop Garden Mysteries Book 5)

Author:    Thea Cambert

Genre:     Mystery

Paperback; Digital Book

ISBN #:    9798689726847

Independently Published

201 Pages

$7.99; $3.99 Amazon

September 20, 2020

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fall has returned to beautiful Blue Valley, Tennessee, and amateur sleuth, Alice Maguire, is gearing up for the busiest weekend every.  She's once again in charge of the fall festival, and is determined to make this one the best one yet.

The centerpiece of the festival this year is Haunted Blue Valley, a tour for visitors and locals alike to view the historic Main Street buildings by candlelight, learn about the town's past, and of course, look for ghosts, all in good fun.  But when Alice, Owen, and Franny's building appears to actually be haunted, it's up to the three friends to figure out what's going on.

Events take a spooky turn when the history buff who's supposed to give the tour of the building finds an actual skeleton in the closet.  Is it some sort of morbid warning?

Franny and Ben's wedding preparations are continually getting derailed, as the time until their special day slips away faster and faster.  Before festival weekend is over, the three friends will have to throw a wedding, host a festival, and catch a killer.

Will they be able to accomplish the seemingly impossible and find wedded bliss?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

This time out, Alice and her friends Franny and Owen are trying to put together the fall festival, including random ghosts that supposedly haunt Blue Valley.  Franny is also marrying her love, Alice's brother Ben, so their time is limited.  When they look through old papers of their historic building, they discover that there's a basement below them, long sealed up.  But their curiosity overcomes everything else, and they venture down only to find what appears to be Civil War artifacts.

They mention this to the unofficial town historian, and he can't wait to view everything.  But no one notices that he never returns to the festival.  When Owen spots what appears to be another wall, they, along with police officer Ben Maguire and Detective Luke, who's Alice's beau, venture down and find a very dead body.

Now there are too many suspects in town and anyone could be a killer...

This is the fifth book in the series and I have to say that I enjoyed it as much as the rest.  Confessing to everyone that I suffer from depression (brought on by a surgery that went wrong in every way possible), at times it is difficult to do anything.  But then I grab one of Ms. Cambert's books and read it right through.  

The writing is light, the stories interesting, the characters endearing, and I would like to visit Blue Valley for myself and experience first hand.  These books are light-hearted mysteries, and the intelligent Alice always finds the answers.  I love the descriptions of everything, and the fact that there is neither an 'evil nemesis' (which I detest) nor a love triangle (ditto).  The writing flows smoothly, and the story is easy to read.

When we come to the end and the killer is revealed, the motive is very sad indeed, but it is, as we already know, as old as time itself.  The ending was very satisfying, and I look forward to the next in the series.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JX5PV1X?ref_

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5042228879

More on Thea Cambert's Books:    https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/thea-cambert/

Dough Shall Not Murder (An Ivy Creek Cozy Mystery Book 8)

Author:    Ruth Baker

Genre:     Mystery

Digital Book

ASIN #:    B0BB8Q8GG1

Clean Tales Publishing

114 Pages

$2.99 Amazon

October 31, 2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As Halloween draws close, Lucy is excited about some yummy treats she'll be sharing with the customers at Sweet Delights Bakery.  She's always been a fan of this time of year as she loves being scared out of her wits and expecting the unexpected.

She is therefore thrilled when she's invited to visit a popular Halloween attraction in town with some close friends.

They're left petrified and speechless by what they encounter at the Haunted Forest attraction that includes real life monsters, a foreboding forest, spooked animals, and a dead body!

Lucy and her friends are horrified when one of the gang is identified as a prime suspect due to the strained relationship they had with the deceased.  Things only take a turn for the worse when Lucy's name is disparaged in the local press because of her involvement with previous murders in Ivy Creek and a conspiracy that she might be involved with the present one.

Lucy is left frustrated and appalled as she sees the killer making the police department chase their tails and go down several rabbit holes.

Will she outwit the killer and bring them to justice or is it time to be afraid....very afraid as the killer begins to hunt her?

✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽

Lucy Hale is living a happy life: she's taken over her parents' bakery after their death, has loyal employees, is living with her Aunt Tricia and her Persian cat Gigi in her family home, and has recently reconnected with her former boyfriend, Taylor, who's a chief deputy in the police department.  As they say, life is good...

...or at least it was, for a little while.  One of her employees, Betsy, is dating the local theater manager, Joseph Hiller.  His younger brother Derek, a theater major at college, is visiting, and hoping to get the lead in The Sword and the Stone.  But when the part goes to a rival, Tony Newton, he's not so much crushed as merely disappointed; at least until Tony starts spreading it all over social media what a loser Derek is.  But Derek does manage to get a part as a monster in the new Haunted Hayride exhibition, which everyone plans to visit.

But on the night they do, there's a murder, and Derek is a likely suspect.  To make things worse, there's a freelance reporter in town who specializes in salacious stories, and Lucy wants no part of him.  He turns up everywhere, and is hounding townspeople.  But she tries to stay positive, since she's sure Derek is innocentt

Meanwhile, her other employee Hannah is looking to care for a stray cat who doesn't seem to want to be found.  She's sure the kitten needs a home, and she wants to be the one to provide it.  Right now, that seems the easiest thing to focus on, as Derek's problems are much bigger.  Will Lucy be able to stay away from this latest murder?  Or will she find that she inadvertently puts herself in the line of fire once again?...

This is the eighth book in the series and I have read them all.  I find them quick, easy, cozy reads that make you feel good when they are finished.  The characters are becoming endearing to me, and their personalities grow with each book.  I love the fact that Lucy's finding her life becoming stable and just what she wants it to be.  I enjoy these so much that I wish I could visit her bakery; if for nothing else than to sit on the veranda and drink coffee!

The mystery is done very well, with enough red herrings thrown in to keep us busy throughout the story.  While we are led in one direction, is it the correct one?  Or are there others that we are not seeing?  I guarantee that when you read this book you will find it a lovely book to read, and with just enough going on to keep you interested.

When the ending comes and the murderer is revealed, it's not so much as a surprise as the reason for the murder is.  Try as I might, one can never see into the mind of a killer.  In the end, this was just as delightful as the others in the series, and I cannot wait to read the next.  Highly recommended.

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

https://www.amazon.com/Dough-Shall-Murder-Creek-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0BB8Q8GG1/ref

Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5037564562

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