COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS MURDER by Leslie Meier
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Holiday
4****

Blurb: Christmas may be 63 days away, but as the Tinker’s Cove Chamber of Commerce gears up for an elaborate Dickens-themed Christmas event, reporter Lucy Stone is already feeling a bit Grinchy—until a possible murder requires her sleuthing skills in the latest Lucy Stone Mystery from bestselling author Leslie Meier. With all four kids out of the house, Lucy Stone’s suddenly empty nest has put a damper on her usual zest for Christmas. She’s got plenty of article ideas to keep her busy though, including reports of vicious social media posts targeting several town residents. Plus, there’s the self-proclaimed “reputation changer” who promises he can clean up any negative press. It all seems a bit too convenient to Lucy, who decides an investigation is in order. On top of all that, after agreeing to play Mrs. Cratchit in “A Dickens of a Christmas,” Lucy also decides to plan a pre-Thanksgiving family weekend. Despite her juggling, it’s not a success—the kids and their partners come but the mood is tense, and Lucy is relieved to see them off. Then comes shocking bank manager Bert Cosgrove, one of the victims of the slanderous media posts, has been found dead. The police are calling it a suicide. No one, including Lucy, believes sweet, mild Bert would take his own life. While holiday preparations reach a feverish pitch, she’s determined to find his killer. And as she burrows into a surprising history of motives, longstanding secrets and family connections begin to stink like rotten plum pudding. Now, as Lucy gets closer to the truth, she finds herself in a life-threatening situation that would definitely spoil Christmas—permanently.

THOUGHTS: I found myself thoroughly relating to Lucy in this story. With all four of her kids grown and scattered not just across the country, but even in other countries, she is experiencing the type of empty-nesting that goes with the holidays. She’s missing the whole “big family” gathering vibe.

Lucy is a reporter for the local newspaper looking into a story on vicious social media bullying that leads to the death of a beloved member of the community. Although the police rule his death a suicide, Lucy and several other people don’t believe he did this. But when she starts to investigate what caused the online bullying, she finds out more than she thought. And another reporter is working on the same story, just from a different angle, so they share information when necessary. In the meantime, she’s also playing Mrs. Cratchit for the town’s “A Dicken’s Christmas” production. The young teen playing Tiny Tim seems to be obsessed with doing searches on his computer and when Lucy finds out he’s looking into the social media problems, she warns him that it could lead to dangerous situations.

Then he goes missing and it’s up to Lucy to figure out what happened to him and where he is.

I enjoyed the story, but there didn’t seem to be a lot of sleuthing on Lucy’s part. Yes, she’s delving into issues for her articles, but most cozies have friends helping and murder boards and more. In this one, “Tiny Tim” actually discovers what’s happening. Also, there was a lot of stress put on the back issues of the newspaper being damaged so she couldn’t find information. I’m surprised that neither the local library nor the historical society has back issues, even if just on film or fiche (yes, some libraries still use that) or even online. And then there’s the outcome of the plum pudding contest – I really had a problem with how that turned out. Finally, there’s Penny, Lucy’s son-in-law’s mother. That’s one woman I would have kicked out of my house! I don’t care if she’s the most wonderful decorator/cook in the world – you don’t take over someone’s home like that. And her son is a coward. Sorry, but that’s my opinion.

Still, it was a good story overall, so 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 Kensington for providing this ARC.

STEELE SECRETS by Andi Cumbo-Floyd
Fiction, YA, Paranormal Mystery
5*****

Blurb: Ghosts just don’t show up for anybody. So when I meet the spirit of a former slave named Moses, I know he needs my help. But I didn’t expect to be taking on half of my town, or the powerful men who seem to run everything and have done so for years. Secrets are being uncovered, and some people would do anything to keep them buried, no matter who gets hurt. I’ll need the help of history and friends I can trust if I want to save Moses’ graveyard and protect his legacy. If only everyone believed it was one worth protecting…

THOUGHTS: This is a story about a teenage girl (17) who is transported from her home garden one evening to an old graveyard not far from her home where she meets a ghost. At first, I thought it a bit odd that she wouldn’t be freaked out about this, but as you read on and learn about Mary, you’ll come to understand her better and it makes sense. The ghost she meets is a man named Moses, who she discovers after time, was a slave. There’s also a real man, Isaiah, who had the same transport thing happen to him. Mary and Isaiah meet one Friday night but just as they’re getting to know each other and what happened to them, a man driving a bulldozer comes along, ready to “bury” the cemetery. And this is where we get the first hints of the story behind the story.

As Mary goes forward to fight the man who wants to destroy the cemetery, she learns that there are many secrets in the town that some people want to keep “buried”. As she digs into the history of the cemetery, she is confronted with racism and social injustice. Rather than fight evil with anger, she turns the tables and fights it with good – and with the power of the community (most of it) behind her.

I will say one thing about this story and that’s about the ending. It’s not your usual HEA style ending. It’s rough and not at all happy, but it is realistic. And that’s even better.

Recommended.

WAVE: BREAKING TRUE by Natalie J. Damschroder
Fiction, Action Adventure Romance

Blurb: Greer McCutcheon has had to rebuild her life twice: once when her parents died, and once when Kirby Delacroix left her. She’s not going to do it again. Not even when Kirby suddenly reappears ten years later and flips things upside down while somehow validating everything she’d ever believed about them.

For five years, every word out of Kirby’s mouth was a lie. Not just to Greer—to everyone. She always thought he was undercover, but after he disappeared, nothing happened to the criminal organization they both worked for. She moved on, went to school, and clawed her way into a career spent helping people who needed to escape from dire circumstances. If she’s been too focused on that and not on having a full, balanced life, well, she hasn’t noticed.

Kirby did lie to Greer, and everyone else, but his biggest lie was to himself after he was pulled from his undercover role. Circumstance and his job at WAVE have brought him back into her life, but in the worst way: WAVE is investigating a trafficking program linked to Greer and her company.

None of the feelings they’d had for each other ten years ago are gone. But Kirby is here to disrupt everything Greer has built, and then he’s going to be gone again. She’ll deal with having to start over professionally, but she will not open herself up to the kind of pain that loss brings. As if her heart will give her a choice.

Buy Link: https://books2read.com/BT

HAUNTED HULA-WEEN by Sally J. Smith
Fiction, cozy mystery, Aloha Lagoon Series
4****

Blurb: One bogus ticket fiasco. One scammer taking a deep dive in the bobbing for apples tub. One very exasperated travel agent who knew she was getting too old for rock concerts.It’s the spookiest time of year at Aloha Lagoon, and travel agent turned reluctant sleuth Gabby LeClair is up to her pixie cut in trouble! Global pop superstar Echo Celeste has descended on Kauai to debut her My Haunted Heart album. But the concert of the decade goes south when it’s discovered that hundreds of furious fans bought bogus tickets, and it was Julie, Gabby’s guy Rick’s “little sister,” who sold those tickets. Megastar Echo is devastated for her fans and wants to make things right. To do it, Gabby pulls off a Halloween a private Apology Shindig for the defrauded fans to take place at a crumbling, legend-haunted sugar mill and plantation. But before Echo can even perform, a scream cuts through the night—and the woman found floating in the apple-bobbing tub is none other than the con artist behind the ticket scam. Now Detective Ray is circling Julie like a shark, and Gabby finds herself in the middle of yet another murder to solve. With her team at her side, she digs into a tale of fraud, grief, and revenge that stretches far beyond the islands. It’s Halloween in the islands, and the fire goddess Pele may be wandering the cane fields where one very determined sleuth is all that stands between a killer and his next victim. But if Gabby isn’t careful, she might just be the next one bobbing for trouble!

THOUGHTS: I love the Aloha Lagoon series. Set on Kauai, the settings take us to the islands and the aromas and plants and ocean… In addition, this story uses the legend of Pele in all her aspects.

Gabby is a travel agent who arranges tours for visitors to the islands. Her boyfriend, Rick, flies helicopter tours around the island. Rick’s little sister, Julie, is an event planner who books a huge star, but she gets conned into buying bogus tickets. With angry fans chasing her and facing not just fraud charges, but a murder charge, Gabby and Rick have to figure out who really killed the con artist before Gabby ends up in jail.

A fun story with lots of suspects and a wonderful setting. And a satisfying ending that solves all. Oh, and some great recipes at the end!

Recommended.

NO BONES ABOUT IT by Annie McEwen
Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Northwoods Mysteries #5
5*****

Blurb: While Emmy Cooper is happy to have settled back in her hometown in the Wisconsin Northwoods, leaving her life as an interior designer in Chicago behind, her skills come in handy when her good friends need help restoring a rundown Victorian mansion into a B&B on the shores of Lake Superior. But things take a turn for the sinister when Emmy uncovers a hidden tunnel on the property—and a skeleton that’s been keeping its secrets for over a century! The discovery points to a possible Prohibition past and a mystery that spans decades. While trying to uncover the skeleton’s long-dead secrets, Emmy is also helping at her family’s Cooper’s Cove Resort, where her grandparents’ high school reunion fills the lodge with laughter, memories, and familiar faces. The stories shared begin to reveal more than anyone expects, and as the gossip mill spins, new clues surface…along with another dead body! Emmy—alongside her closest friends—must uncover a killer in the present while untangling a century-old mystery, before Emmy herself becomes history!

THOUGHTS: I love this series! I’d love to visit Cooper’s Cove in person–stay at one of the cabins (or the lodge), meet the family, everything! The characters and setting are what make this series come alive. Unfortunately, alive is not something that happens to some people in these stories (come on, it’s a cozy mystery – you have to have a body or two). In this one Emma is in the process of restoring and decorating a historical Victorian mansion into a B&B. While looking at a building on the grounds for possibly renovating that she discovers not only a hidden cellar and tunnel, but also a long-dead skeleton. And before the mystery of who he was, a much fresher body is found in the cellar. As she’s looking into that mystery, other secrets are uncovered–like a hidden speakeasy in the main house. Uncovering all the secrets being hidden in the property becomes necessary for Emmy when a friend becomes a person of interest in everything. She has to help him out, hopefully before she becomes the next hidden secret.

A fun series with great characters and a setting you really want to go visit.

Definitely 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”

BETWEEN A WITCH AND A HARD PLACE by Celia Roman
Fiction, Urban Fantasy
3***

BLURB: Twelve years ago, my mother, a powerful chaos witch, walked out on me and my twin brother without a backward glance. We didn’t hear another word out of her until a vampire walked into my brother Nick’s bar wanting me to track her down. She’d disappeared into thin air, and he insisted that I was the only one who could find her. Of course, I refused. How could I not? Disappearing was Mom’s wheelhouse, and after she’d disappeared on us, I never wanted to see her again. Then members of the local supernatural community started turning up dead, and Nick was fingered as the suspect. With his life on the line, I had to make a choice: Throw everything I had at finding our mother and, maybe, the real culprit, or be forced to watch while the local werewolf pack tore Nick limb from limb as punishment for a crime he didn’t commit.

THOUGHTS: This is a good start to a series. There is an issue in this story – missing paranormals – that gets solved while leaving enough threads dangling to let us know more is coming. But at least it doesn’t end on a nasty cliffhanger, which I appreciate. Yes, we know more is coming, that’s obvious, but we get this part of the story solved.

In this one, Vanessa (aka Nessie) is an ex-cop turned PI who is hired by the local werewolf alpha to find a missing female werewolf. What she finds is more missing than just one female, leads to her mother who disappeared years ago, and a lot of secrets that affected her and her brother’s lives. Like the fact that they aren’t failed witches, but actually rather powerful ones who had been blocked by their mother before she took off. The question is, why? And when her aunt unblocks them, then the power really comes out–and not necessarily in a good way. The world building in the story is done well as are most of the characters. I’m just not sure I believed Nessie a whole lot. She seemed too clueless at times, especially when it came to Seth, the alpha of the pack.

Still, not a bad book. And I will look forward to the following books and the solving of the overall mystery.

Recommended.

BIRTH OF THE WITCH by Nora Roberts

Fiction, Paranormal Fantasy, Witches

4****

Blurb: Niamh McShane was born a witch and died a witch in the same moment, at the tender age of thirteen. A victim of the madness that spread from Salem Town to her home on Piety Island, her only comfort in her last hours came from the weavers imprisoned with her, who saw within her light and power and gave her some of their own. Over three hundred years later, on the same island, Neve McShane wakes with excitement on her thirteenth birthday and unwraps gifts from her aunts: sneakers, an iPhone, and a stunning antique pendant. Then she receives something else: a revelation that will change her life. Astonished, Neve learns that her aunts’ abilities go beyond simple kitchen magic and the potions they sell in their shop. Their tales of past lives aren’t just whimsical fantasies. They are witches, and so is she. Their lives–past and present–are bound together by that pivotal day centuries ago. Now Neve has been tasked with stopping a growing darkness. To prepare for the dangerous enemy that awaits, Neve hones her skills and searches for clues to aid in her quest. And at night, she dreams of a young man from Ireland whose eyes met with hers for a fateful moment, centuries ago…

THOUGHTS: I love Nora Roberts and this book is one of the reasons why. It’s a great start to a new fantasy trilogy that crosses several centuries. The main character is an indentured servant in the late 1600s to a well-to-do family on Piety Island. On her thirteenth birthday, she is accused of being a witch even though she is innocent. Branded and thrown into jail with two women who really are witches and who comfort her before their hanging. What they don’t see happening is a young man rushing in to combine his magic with the women, making Niamh a witch just before her death. Fast forward 300 years to Neve (previously Niamh) living with her aunts (the two witches) and running a tourist shop of “magical” items in the small town on Piety Island. They have been together through multiple lifetimes, but this time is different. She has been tasked by The First to find three objects and meet with the man who is sworn to protect her in order to thwart the nasty witch who wants to end them all. I love that Neve is a strong girl who stands up for herself and doesn’t sit around waiting for her “prince” to come save her. She’s someone who is strong and smart and decisive. Good for her. And I love the aunts! They’re so different, and yet work well together.

While a tad slow in parts, the story is good in that it blends Neve’s past and her present really well. And she keeps missing her meeting with the protector in a lot of places. They don’t actually physically meet until the last couple of chapters! And the definite cliffhanger ending is a definite frustration. So now I have to wait for the next book – and then the next one after that to find out what happens!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this ARC. 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”

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.

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.

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.

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.