Review: A Cultivated Corpse

A CULTIVATED CORPSE by Debra Sennefelder
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 9th in series
4****

Blurb: When the local garden club president is killed, food blogger Hope Early will have to dig through the clues to catch a killer . . . The Jefferson Garden Club’s annual plant sale is just around the corner, but Hope Early and other members of the club are more focused on the garden restoration project at Ambrose House. The gorgeous landscaping promises to help return the stately old home to its former glory, but rumors are surfacing of unexplained delays and exorbitant costs. Then the club’s president is found dead amid signs of foul play, and Hope can’t ignore the uneasy feeling that the victim was silenced for something she knew about the renovations. Certain that the solution to the murder is tied to the garden project and the club’s recent financial struggles, Hope begins to go through their books and uncovers more than mismatched numbers. A tangle of transactions points to an intricate embezzlement scheme, but before she can weed out who’s behind it, a local reporter chasing the same story is killed. It’s clear now that someone is dead-set on keeping the truth buried, and Hope will have to unearth a vital piece of evidence before the killer decides it’s time to bury her as well . . .

THOUGHTS: This is the ninth in the Food Blogger Mysteries series. And although you don’t have to have read the others in the series, I strongly recommend it so you know the characters better. The books center around Hope Early, a food blogger, cookbook author, home renovator (her own), and avid list maker (she has to be!). I was exhausted just reading about everything she does! With three acres of land to figure out what to do with, she recently joined the local garden club to get some advice. Instead of a quiet group of people interested in plants, she finds conflicts, threats, back-biting… and murder. So much for a nice little garden club. Hope discovers the body of the club president in the woman’s greenhouse next to the nearly-dead one of her friend, she knows she has to help discover whodunnit before her friend is jailed for the murder. What she doesn’t expect to find is a maze of intrigue including embezzlement, cheating, and more. Nor does she expect to find herself as nearly one of the victims.

This is a fast-moving story with a lot of plot twists and turns – and a couple of really good recipes at the end. The characters are well-done and the setting a standard small-town (Connecticut) with the addition of garden club interests and food. And an ending that satisfies.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this ARC.

Review: No Solace for the Wicked

NO SOLACE FOR THE WICKED by Nancy Herriman
Fiction, Historical Cozy Mystery, Mysteries of old San series
4****

Blurb: When a man’s wife disappears without a trace, Celia’s hunt for the missing woman soon becomes a search for a killer . . . Celia Davies once hounded Dennis Merrill as a suspect for a murder he didn’t commit, so she’s more than a little surprised when he shows up at her door asking for help. His wife has vanished into thin air, and even the woman she was with at the time of her disappearance has no clue where she could be. Celia still doesn’t completely trust Merrill, but she begins to search for clues that might lead to his wife—right up until the moment when the young woman’s dead body is found. While Celia shifts her focus to finding Mrs. Merrill’s murderer, Detective Nick Greaves is convinced that Merrill himself killed his wife and is determined to prove it. But neither Celia nor Nick can find a reliable witness or a solid lead, and then another young woman is found murdered. Suddenly the death of this latest victim exposes a web of relationships that had eluded Celia and Nick, with everyone involved hiding their own wicked motives . . .

THOUGHTS: I haven’t read others in this series so wasn’t up on who all the characters were, but I didn’t feel that I was in the dark about them as I read the story. The best part of the book for me was the setting. The author did an amazing job with the setting and putting me right there in the story. But the characters were very well-done as well. Celia Davies (a nurse and investigator) and Nick Greaves (police detective) are a brilliant pairing. And there are as many twists and turns to the story that keeps you reading.

In this one, an old foe, Dennis Merrill, contacts Celia to ask for her help in finding his missing wife. Celia doesn’t really want to believe him, but she decides to help him anyway, against the advice of all her friends. What she uncovers, besides bodies (yes, 2) are a lot of secrets and shadowy relationships that lead to murder and mayhem.

I found the entire premise of the story intriguing – set in the late 1800s in San Francisco, Celia isn’t some rich do-gooder with nothing better to do. She’s a nurse with a busy clinic clientele who has housemates. She’s realistic and interesting. I love how she tries to earn enough money for a wedding dress for her friend. And her relationship with Greaves builds, even though they are definitely at odds about trusting Merrill. And a satisfying ending doesn’t hurt at all.

I recommend this book/series for those who like their mysteries set in historical times.

Review: Self-Directed Complex PTSD Exercises for Women

SELF-DIRECTED COMPLEX PTSD EXERCISES FOR WOMEN by Debbie Missud
Nonfiction, Self-Help, Psychology, @Zeitgeistpublishing, @penguinrandomhouse
4****

Blurb: Regulate your emotions, find safety in relationships, and live the fullest version of your life. Your trauma is not your fault. But managing its symptoms is something within your control. Complex PTSD (cPTSD) refers to the aftermath of ongoing or repeated trauma—often relational—that impacts a person’s life. Self-Directed Complex PTSD Exercises for Women is a compassionate, self-guided workbook that offers trauma-informed tools for being able to safely inhabit your body, reengage in relationships, and step into a full-color version of your life. Drawing from psychological training, holistic research, and direct clinical experience, it includes practices for nervous system regulation, mind-body integration, and self-understanding. Here, you’ll find:

50+ self-led exercises inspired by proven trauma-informed modalities—somatic practices, EMDR, IFS, DBT, attachment-based, and narrative therapy—to help you reconnect with your body, emotions, and inner wisdom.
Fast-working tools to move beyond fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown—helping you find stability, safety, and joy in everyday life.
A practical road map to identify your values, nurture self-compassion, and align with the truest version of yourself.
Compassionate guidance from holistic psychotherapist Debbie Missud, LMHC-D, who specializes in complex PTSD support for women, bridging the gap between clinical knowledge and everyday healing.

Created by and for women, this book is for those seeking peace, connection, and trust from the inside out. Feeling better—grounded, whole, and free—is possible. And the fact you are here means it is within reach.

THOUGHTS: “Healing doesn’t mean forgetting the past or never being triggered again.” I liked how this book started with an introduction to PTSD and an explanation of the different types of modalities including EMDR, IFS, DBT and more. Once you get past the introduction, you are into the exercises – and they are broad in range so if one style doesn’t work for you, another might. They can seem repetitive, but therapy is often like that. Not all the exercises will appeal to everyone, but you are welcome to pick and choose what best works for you. There are sixty exercises in all, so you’re sure to find something that fits. At the end, there are several pages of resources including podcasts, books, websites, online communities, apps and support lines. The author also stresses that if you are in danger to yourself or others, to seek professional help.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” Thanks to Zeitgeist and PenguinRandomHouse for providing this ARC.

Review: Indigo

INDIGO by Karen Hulene Bartell
Fiction, Paranormal Romantic Suspense
5*****

BLURB: After encountering a Northwoods hunk, unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a dysfunctional family, of which one member–according to windigo legends–never left, is Raluca at risk of losing her heart, her inheritance, or her mind?Reeling after her fiancé dumps her, Raluca Olson inherits a rustic cabin from an unknown relative. Eerie incidents and rumors of a mythical windigo alarm her, but she’s determined to learn the truth about her dysfunctional family before she flips the property. Despite unscrupulous realtors, bloodthirsty prowlers, and a devious ex, her life improves with a rescued puppy, and passion ignites when she meets Dylan McCoombs, but…What does a demonic half-beast share with a psychosis and porphyria? Are monsters born or formed? Nature or nurture? Is a windigo spirit genetic? More importantly, does she carry the gene?

THOUGHTS: This is a very well-written story. Which is why it got five stars. Did I like it? Nope. Not even a little. It’s fast paced, terrifying, creepy, at times gory… definitely not my kind of story. But I’m a reviewer so I try hard to tell the truth and give you my honest opinion.

In this story, the main character, Racula, inherits a rustic cabin in northern Wisconsin from a great aunt she didn’t even know she had. Having just been dumped a week before their wedding by her ex, coming to the cabin is a way for her to figure out what she’s going to do. She’s broke, broken, and alone. The first night in the cabin, she hears noises that go beyond any normal noises. She eventually meets Dylan, a good friend of her great-aunt. He introduces her to people who can help her repair the cabin so she can flip it as well as watch over her when unnatural –and scary things start happening. Like a gutted rabbit at her back door followed by a gutted deer at her front door. While on a walk, she finds a puppy that she names Indigo and he quickly becomes another protector. Meanwhile, she is introduced to her family lore and the myth of the wendigo – a human who is everything bad. Things go from bad to worse before Racula and her new friends finally figure out what’s really going on in their town.

This book is well-written in that it evokes strong emotions (and a nightmare or two in my case). Definitely not the kind of book I usually read, but the ending satisfies. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story and family secrets that come out as well as things going on in the town that add to the creepiness of the story.

Recommended with the caveat that, to me, it was more a horror story than a sweet romance. If you like your romances on the dark side, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

Spotlight: Indigo

BUY LINKS:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Indigo-Cryptid-Charisma-Hulene-Bartell-ebook/dp/B0GHZHM1WQ
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/1149708480
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/indigo-by-karen-hulene-bartell
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249818067-indigo
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=9781509265251
BooksAMillion: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/9781509265251
Indie Bound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/indigo-karen-hulene-bartell/d36bdd344e121211
iTunes: https://books.apple.com/us/book/indigo/id6760712664

BIO: The author of 29 published books and Indigo (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249818067), Karen Hulene Bartell was born to rolling-stone parents who moved annually. Her earliest playmates were fictional friends in books. Paperbacks became her portable pals. Ghost stories kept her up at night–reading feverishly. Novels offered an imaginative escape, and she began her first novel at nine, learning the joys of creating her own HEAs. Professor emeritus of the University of Texas at Austin, she lives in the Texas Piney Woods with her husband and *mews*–three rescued cats and a rescued CATahoula Leopard dog.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenHuleneBartell
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/karenbartell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuleneKaren
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/karenhulenebartell/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/611950.Karen_Hulene_Bartell
Website: http://www.KarenHuleneBartell.com/
Email: info@KarenHuleneBartell.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/karenhulenebartell
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BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/karen-hulene-bartell
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenhulenebartell/
AUTHORSdb: https://authorsdb.com/community/17847-karen-hulene-bartell

Review: Masher of Ceremonies

MASHER OF CEREMONIES by Victoria Hamilton
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 13th in series
4****

BLURB: A fundraiser for the local historical society nearly goes bust when someone fills the coffers with blackmail and murder . . . The annual Tea With the Queen fundraiser always makes for a festive weekend in Queensville, drawing visitors from far and wide and giving local shops a welcome boost. This year, vintage kitchenware collector Jaymie Müller is running the event, and she’s got her hands full organizing old and new volunteers along with a surly catering crew. Then her master of ceremonies tells her he’s being blackmailed but can’t go to the police, and before Jaymie can sort that out she stumbles over a dead body at the tea. Despite the demands of keeping the event up and running, Jaymie can’t help puzzling over the murder. There’s no concrete evidence linking the cretin behind the blackmail scheme to the dead body, so she begins questioning everyone connected to the blackmail, hoping to expose the killer. And just as she discovers a web of relationships that leads her to the culprit, she realizes that the Tea With the Queen may have been a royal pain, but outwitting a blackmailer and catching a killer may be the death of her . . .Includes a vintage recipe!

THOUGHTS: Jaymie Muller is trying to get her new store ready to open, help at her sister’s store, raise a child, and manage the Tea with the Queen weekend–just the biggest event of the season! She has to wrangle Nigel (owner of house where the event will take place), the volunteers, the chefs, and everything else and pray it doesn’t rain. What she doesn’t count on is a blackmailer photo-bombing the event and a dead body on the last day.

Even though the pace was a little slow, there were lots of suspects for the reader to check out. I will say, though, that the murder didn’t happen until almost half-way through the book, so there’s a lot of buildup beforehand. Actually, when you find out who the victim is, you might be surprised.

The characters are well done, especially Jaymie. And I loved that there is a descriptive “Cast of Characters” at the front of the book so you know who’s who and what the relationships are. That really helps if you haven’t read the other books in the series. What I found unique about the story was that it was German in flavor – the names of many of the characters and the recipe at the end. Very different from the usual small-town flavor.

Still, even though I found it a slow read, I did enjoy it and the ending was satisfying. I really liked Jaymie and her mother-bear attitude with her step-daughter and her organizational skills.

Recommended.

Review: The Writer’s Miracle Method

THE WRITER’S MIRACLE METHOD by Debra Landwehr Engle
Nonfiction, Self-help, Writing, Coming October 13, 2026
5*****

Blurb: A 30-day program to unlock your creative potential and write with confidence from the Spirit within. Struggling with writer’s block or paralyzing self-doubt? The Writer’s Miracle Method offers a powerful spiritual approach to conquering the fears that hold writers back. Rooted in the teachings of A Course in Miracles, this 30-day program helps writers shift from self-criticism to creative flow, building habits that empower you to write with confidence, clarity, and joy. Designed for writers at any stage, Debra Engle’s method combines practical exercises, guided meditations, and mindset shifts to help you break through mental barriers and unleash your creative potential. With more than four decades of experience in publishing and spiritual mentorship, Engle has crafted a proven path to help you overcome fear, embrace your true voice, and thrive as a writer.

THOUGHTS: This is a spiritual how-to book. It takes you through exercises that take you from self-doubt to creativity. It teaches you how to turn off the “I’m not good enough” and turn on the “I can do this” brain. There are thirty-one exercises – one for each day – and take about twenty minutes (more if you really go deep). According to the book, “There’s o one way to write. No right way to write.” If you’re having trouble with the “I can’t’s” maybe this book is for you. But be prepared to believe in yourself by the end.

Recommended.

Review: A Pinch of Assault

A PINCH OF ASSAULT by Misty Simon
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, “Sunny Side Up Diner” series
5*****

Blurb: With things at her Sunny Side Up Diner sailing along smoothly for once, Jax Tapman has turned her attention to her personal life. It’s time to meet the boyfriend’s mother in person. And while Jax isn’t totally certain she’s up to the challenge, she agrees to show Eliot’s mom around a local retirement home. It sounds innocent enough, and it shouldn’t be too difficult to sell the woman on the idea of moving to be closer to her son. But instead of making her case, when Jax enters the model apartment, she and her potential in-law find one dead body and a whole lot of secrets! Suddenly it’s up to Jax to discover who the retirement home killer is—a task that only gets harder when someone from Eliot’s past shows up and might know far more about the crime than she’s letting on. The Sunny Side Up Diner is jumping with gossip, Jax and her best friend Dani are running interference, and Eliot’s mom is calling all the shots. But sorting out chaos and minimizing damage is something Jax has grown accustomed to, if she can only get a clue.

THOUGHTS: Except for the occasional murder, I want to live here! I want to go to Jax and Dani’s diner. I want to have some of Eliot’s waffles. And I really want to meet the entire family! In this story, we get to meet Dot, Eliot’s mother. Yes, Jax gets to meet the future Mother-in-Law – and she’s a hoot! When they go to look at a retirement community model apartment and find a body, Dot goes into “investigator” mode to Jax’s surprise. After all, Dot spent years working for the police so she knows all about procedure. The group all comes together to figure out suspects and Dot gets them organized better than ever with a murder board that is amazing in its organization. I love that they’re still using the “spindle” for clues in the diner. Oh, and Jax is totally in love with Glenda, the Thing (Dot’s vehicle). I find it funny that Stella Luna (the cat) steals Eliot’s clothes and now Mauareen’s too in order to make a nest.

If you like your cozy mysteries with a touch of humor and shenanigans, you won’t be disappointed here. And though you don’t need to, I suggest you read the entire series so you get to know the participants even better.

Definitely recommended.

Review: Joy to the Bones

JOY TO THE BONES by Carolyn Haines
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, last in series
4****

BLURB: In this final installment of the series, sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney is up against her biggest–and most personal–mystery yet. Still reeling from the discovery that her parents’ deaths, decades ago, might not have been an accident, Private Investigator Sarah Booth Delaney doesn’t know who to believe anymore. Her best friend and business partner, Tinkie, purposefully kept her in the dark; her lover, Coleman, intentionally lied to her; and her meddlesome ghost-turned-spiritual-guide, Jitty, kept more secrets than she can count. Now, even the people Sarah Booth once trusted more than anything are suspect. Armed with new knowledge about her parents’ car crash, Sarah Booth sets out to solve her biggest case her parents’ murder. And she’s prepared to do it alone if she has to. But the Mississippi Delta doesn’t pause for anyone, not even Sarah Booth. While trying to untangle the truth about her parents’ fate, Sarah Booth gets roped into investigating the DeLonge Mansion, a magnificent old house with seemingly no one left alive to claim it. With the return of her nemesis, Gertrude Stromm, looming over her head–and the pieces of her failed relationships still scattered around her–Sarah Booth has her work cut out for her this holiday season.

THOUGHTS: This is the last of a 31-Book series but you don’t *have* to have read all the others to come up to speed with the characters and the story arc. Sarah Booth Delaney lives on her Mississippi Delta family farm with dogs, horses, a black cat, a crow who spouts “Nevermore” on occasion, and a sassy ghost named Jitty. She’s a PI who is partnered with her best friend Tinkie and has a heart throb in the local sheriff, Coleman.

In this book, Sarah Booth (and yes, she goes by both names), is trying to find out who killed her parents 20+ years ago. Her search leads to crooked judges, drug runners, and an obsessed woman who wants her dead. It is an interesting story with a lot going on. What’s nice is that everything is tied up nicely by the end giving you not only a satisfying ending to the story, but to the entire series.

Recommended.

Review: Norman & the Stinking Space Goo

NORMAN & THE STINKING SPACE GOO by Michael Wilhelm
Fiction, Kids, Science Fiction, Super Heroes
4****

BLURB: Norman Flinch is a pretty average kid, until he is splattered all over by an alien space orb. The unsettling gunk leaves him with a rancid aroma that keeps everyone around him gagging. He turns to Wendell Higgins, the school science geek for help. Together they unlock the awe-inspiring secret of the Stinking Space Goo.

THOUGHTS: Norman is a clumsy 14-year-old who is obsessed with comic books, much to his mother’s dismay. Forced to do his chores instead of diving into his latest purchase, Norman is mowing the grass when he runs into a glass ball left behind by alien visitors. The ball explodes and he (and the yard) is covered in slime – and the fun begins. Although he washes the goo off – multiple times, it stinks! A lot! And nothing can get rid of it. He goes to see a kid he knows – a genius scientist on his bus. The two of them figure out that he now has superpowers in that he can control the stink…and he heals almost instantly. He has become what he loves. But just because you wear a cape and a mask doesn’t mean you’re automatically coordinated.

This is a fun read, especially for kids who love “stinky” books. Norman is completely inept as a superhero – but he comes through for his sister and his family reluctantly accepts him. This is the first book in a series.

Recommended.