DEADLY COOL by Gemma Halliday

Fiction, YA, Cozy Mystery

5*****

Blurb: Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

Thoughts: This was a very different cozy mystery from the ones I usually read. The main characters are teens in high school. With all the teen angst that goes along with being sixteen/seventeen/etc. Throw in a couple of murders and you’ve got the makings for an interesting story.

In this one, Hartley’s boyfriend cheated on her… with the president of the chastity club, and the first dead body. Hartley is sure he didn’t do it, but he’s on the run and the cops are keeping a close eye on her in order to catch him. Meanwhile, Hartley and her best friend and the editor of the school newspaper go on the hunt for the real killer. Then Hartley discovers another body and things go from intense to dangerous. Especially for Hartley.

There’s all the stuff that goes into a cozy—clues, suspects, danger—in addition to being forced to sneak out of her house under her mother’s watchful eyes, trying to do her homework while chasing down clues, and more. All in all, a fun read and, maybe, a way to get teens more interested in cozy mysteries. 

Recommended.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own are not solicited or influenced by anyone or anything.

LIBRARIES AND LARCENY by Danielle Collins

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Henrietta is expanding her horizons and getting involved in the literary world. When a biographer approaches her for help recovering a rare book, she gets a chance to mix her two loves. After a book shop owner turns up dead, she’s in for another murder mystery. Can she solve the case, find the book, and help tell the story of a long lost manuscript?Libraries and Larceny is the fifth book in the Hearts Grove Cozy Mystery series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with interesting characters, you don’t want to miss the Hearts Grove Cozy Mysteries.Download Libraries and Larceny and start solving your next mystery today!

This is the fifth book in a series, but from what I read, you don’t have to have read the first five (though I will – and I recommend it). You pick up all the information you need through the story. And it’s a quick read. There are only 152 pages so an easy one-day read. 

Thoughts:

In this one, Henrietta (Henri) is on the hunt for a rare book that’s missing. A recent friend, Shannon, is writing a biography of the author of the book and the one missing book is the last one he wrote. Henri heads to Canada to meet up with a book vendor who claims he has the book, but when she gets there, she finds him dead. And thus the mystery begins.

The characters are interesting. I love that Henri is an older woman instead of some 20-something. And she’s got a boyfriend of sorts in Ralph (a PI). She’s no nonsense, knows who she is, and what she wants (Kind of), although she dreams of being a mystery writer. But meanwhile, she’s happy with her antique shop and her life. 

The mystery is a good one with interesting characters and a plot that moves along well and an ending that satisfies, but leaves a nice heavy thread dangling so that you know there will be more mysteries for Henri to solve.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are mine alone and are not solicited or influenced by anyone or anything.

THE VISCOUNT’S RANCHER by Andrew Grey

Fiction, Contemporary M/M Romance, 4 flames

4****

Blurb: Viscount Collin Northington has spent his life under his father’s thumb. When his friend George and his cowboy husband, Alan, offer to let him tag along to the US for two weeks, Collin jumps at the chance to get away. Perhaps the open ranges of Wyoming will put his problems into perspective. He even dreams of meeting a cowboy of his own. He doesn’t expect his dreams to come true. When Tank Rogers returned home after his military service, he took over the family ranch the way he knew he was meant to. Now he’s the only one left, but he likes the solitude. Even so, he has no excuse to object to putting up Alan’s friend for a few weeks in exchange for some help around the ranch—it wouldn’t be neighborly. The feelings he has for his blue-blooded houseguest aren’t exactly neighborly either. Once Tank realizes there’s more to Collin than upper-crust manners, suddenly his solitary life holds a lot less appeal. But in the long term, Tank doesn’t fit into Collin’s fancy society life any more than Collin fits into Tank’s down-home and dusty ranch… does he?

Thoughts: I enjoyed the first book in this series and this one takes place just a year or two after that one. In this one, Collin is tired of being constantly under his father’s control, especially since he’s the one making sure their lands don’t fall into ruin. Against his father’s wishes, he decides to take a short vacation and accompanies his best friends Alan (a cowboy) and George (a Duke) to Alan’s mother’s ranch in Wyoming. Collin stays with Alan’s friend Tank (Tim).

Tank has brought his family ranch back from the brink of disaster, but he is alone. Then he meets Collin and against everything he thinks he should do, he falls for the handsome viscount. The romance is hot and heavy and mutual, but Collin must return home to his family estates and Tank must stay on his land.

The romantic tension between the two works well as do their emotions when they must part. But like all romances (and especially Mr. Grey’s), things do work out and we get a HEA for the men.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced or solicited by anyone or anything.

What’s a girl to do when the past comes back to haunt you?
With her colorful past, Iona Hoover is hoping for a bland and beige future when she moves back to Chincoteague Island in Virginia to help her aunt run a pet treat store called Unbridled Bliss. But when she finds a dead body, suddenly her whole world goes topsy-turvy. She’d grown up in turmoil and had relied on her imaginary friends to vent to when she was little. But now the quartet she’d called the Silver Bettys is back and they weren’t her imagination, they’re ghosts. They want to help her solve the mystery but there’s only so much they can do according to the rules of the afterlife. Iona will take all the help she can get though and when she uncovers some secrets in the small town that others would like to keep hidden, she knows she’ll need every ghost on deck to figure out whodunnit or she could very well be joining the Silver Bettys on the other side.

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About the author: Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time. Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

website: http://www.mistysimon.com

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Blurb: Flora has spent her entire life hiding in the trees and ignoring the cursed, poisonous larkspur growing from her ankle and eating away at her life. She lets her anxiety and fear control her, but fate forces her hand when her adopted mother is kidnapped by a cruel witch. The only way to save her is to find the magic shards of her family’s amulet scattered throughout her land. With no time to waste, Flora sets out with her best friend, and along the way they meet a darkly intriguing stranger. But Flora is running out of time and can’t succumb to distractions. If she trusts the wrong person or lets her anxiety win, Flora risks losing more than just her mother …

Buy links: 

https://books2read.com/u/3RlNYv

https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-age-of-larkspur/

Author bio:

Aleighsha Parke is an avid reader who first fell in love with storytelling as a young child. Young Adult Fantasy and Sci-Fi are her first loves and the two genres she enjoys reading and writing in the most, however, she is interested in dabbling in horror and mystery/thrillers. When she’s not reading hundreds of books a year or writing new stories with flawed characters and magical worlds, she crochets in her free time and works in a library so she’s always surrounded by books and stories.

The Age of Larkspur is her debut novel.

Social media:

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Giveaway and promo: I have a pre-order campaign where people can submit their receipts and receive a bookmark, signed bookplate, art print, and stickers as well as a Goodreads giveaway going live August 1st and running until August 29th. I also have the ARC up on Netgalley and Booksirens until September.

 

When photographer Autumn Season lands the job of official photographer at the prestigious Aloha Lagoon Resort, she’s ecstatic. But a lively luau suddenly turns deadly, and Autumn realizes she may have accidentally snapped a picture of a murder in progress! Now the killer will go to any lengths to protect his (or her) identity, and Autumn is clearly in their sights. With the help of her best friend, super hottie, and head of the Aloha Lagoon Resort Security, Jimmy Toki, Autumn sets out to find the killer’s identity before the killer finds her. What do stolen camera equipment, a bossy busty blonde, and a group of jealous surfers have to do with it all? Autumn isn’t sure, but when another luau ends in another body, Aloha Lagoon might be headed for infamy instead of fame. If Autumn doesn’t get to the bottom of it all soon, she may just be the next victim to wipe out!

Thoughts: This is a good addition to the series (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries). The nice thing is, you don’t have to have read the others in the series to know what’s going on. Each one stands alone. And yes, some characters may cross over, but there’s not one central character that carries the entire series.

In this one, Autumn Season (LOL on her name!) is a photographer who is hired to take pictures at a luau at the local resort where her best friend, Jimmy Toki is head of security. When a murder occurs at the luau and her camera is stolen, Autumn (aka Red because of her red hair) becomes a target.

There’s a lot going on in this story – drugs, smuggling, murder, and more. And there are a lot of suspects. But when someone tries several times to kill Red, Jimmy has her back. So there is a bit of a romance in with the mystery here. And a HEA that satisfies both the romantic part and the whodunnit. Plus, it’s set on the island of Kauai, so beautiful scenery to go along with the action.

Recommended.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced or solicited by anyone.

Mermaid Swimwear President Holly Schlivnik discovers the Bainbridge Department Store Easter Bunny slumped over dead and obnoxious swimwear buyer Sue Ellen Magee is arrested for the crime. Despite her differences with the nasty buyer, Holly is convinced the Queen of Mean didn’t do it. The wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth jumps into action to nail the real killer. But the trail has more twists than a pretzel and more turns than a rollercoaster. And nothing turns out the way Holly thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hellbent on revenge.

Death by Jelly Beans Buy Links:

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Named Best US Author of the Year by N. N. Lights Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple, but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.
She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

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This is the beginning of Suicide Prevention Month.

I lost a good friend this year to this awful thing. I have friends and relatives who have lost others for the same reason. This is not a solution. Please. If you need help, reach out and ask for it. There are a lot of places that are available.

From NAMI.org: Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues.

In the US, If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Go to: Nami.org (National alliance on mental illness) for information. There are also a lot of other places to find help online. Just google “suicide prevention” and you’ll see them.

Please don’t let another family go through this agony. And it is agony for the ones left behind. There is help. Don’t be afraid. Help is out there. For you. For your loved ones.

Please.

Kelly Jo Sweeney grew up in England before moving to New Zealand where she lived for 15 years with her kiwi husband and four wonderful children. An avid reader from an early age, crime novels have long been a favourite. She always likes to work out whodunnit before the big reveal and writing her own novels means that there’s at least one that she’ll always get right. Her debut novel is set in and inspired by the unique scenery of New Zealand, infusing her stories with a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere.

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THE BODY AT BACK BEACH by KJ Sweeney

Blurb: Helena Statham never imagined herself as a sleuth. But when she stumbles upon the body of a young woman while on a walk, she can’t resist the urge to discover who she was and how she got there. Even if it means upsetting the tight-knit community of the small New Zealand town she lives in, and uncovering secrets that have long been buried. Thirty years ago, a young woman went missing, but no one tried to find out what had happened to her. As Helena investigates deeper, she learns more about what took place back then, putting herself in danger now. Join Helena on her journey as she becomes an unlikely amateur detective, determined to uncover the truth and bring justice to the long-forgotten young woman whose story has been buried in silence for far too long.

Available through these fine retailers…
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SLAY BELLS RING by Nancy Robards Thompson

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Holiday

4****

Blurb: It’s one thing to write a mystery, but when your daughter is the suspect — you solve it. Wedding planner Jenna Bell doesn’t panic when the groom is a no-show to the ceremony – even though he is her former high school sweetheart and this wedding is the small town’s event of the year. However, when he turns up dead and she is falsely accused… well, yeah, now it’s the time to panic. Jenna’s mother, Maddie, puts her cozy mystery writing skills to use to try to clear her daughter’s name, stepping on by-the-book Chief of Police Jackson Bradley’s toes in the process. No matter how enticing he finds her, he doesn’t want this writer-turned-amateur-sleuth interfering with his murder investigation. With nearly all of Hemlock, North Carolina, picking sides and the town’s own Gossip Brigade churning out the rumors, Maddie discovers the mystery isn’t very cozy when it hits this close to home.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this cozy. The characters are realistic and believable, as are their conflicts and issues. Jenna has moved back home and lives in a downstairs apartment with her mother upstairs. Her mom runs a bridal gown business and Jenna runs a wedding planner business. Since the two complement each other, they work out of the same office. They’re working on the biggest society wedding the town has ever seen. 

And then trouble rears its ugly head when the drunk groom shows up at Jenna’s claiming he’s still in love with her (they dated at one time). She takes him home but when he fails to show up for the wedding, she sends her mother and his father to get him – and they find him dead.

There are a lot of suspects and it turns out that the golden boy wasn’t so golden. And Jenna’s mom and the chief of police are in tight with each other since she depends on him for his expertise when she’s writing her book. There’s a lot going on in this book, but it’s a good start to what I know is going to be a decent series. I can foresee interesting things happening for Jenna and her mom Maddie. Note: This story is written in first person from both Maddie and Jenna’s point of view, but the author delineates who is the lead with headings so you know. 

Recommended.

Disclaimer: All opinions in this review are mine and mine alone. I was not coerced or asked to write a review, nor was I influenced by anyone or anything.