SKYLAR ROBBINS: THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN JEWELS by Carrie Cross

Fiction, YA Cozy Mystery

Blurb: A deserted mansion perches on a steep hillside, overlooking a rocky canyon. Tattered curtains hang behind broken windows, and a turret stretches toward the sky. Three years ago the wealthy owner disappeared suddenly, leaving behind a house full of secrets: A mysterious note, tantalizing clues, a hidden floor, one piece of a treasure map, and a missing fortune in diamonds. Thirteen-year-old sleuth Skylar Robbins moves into the mansion with her parents and embarks on a new and dangerous mission. Armed with her detective kit, and with the support of her BFF Alexa and a team of secret agents, Skylar sets out to decipher the clues and find the diamonds. Can she outwit a gang of aggressive bikers and find the hidden jewels before they do? Or will the perils of middle school–like battling ruthless bully Emelyn Peters for the attention of class hottie Dustin Coles–get in her way?

Thoughts: This was a fun read that I really enjoyed. Any young teen who enjoys a good mystery will love this one. Skylar is a 13-year-old girl who loves solving mysteries (thanks to her detective grandfather). Her parents buy a ramshackle mansion that once belonged to an heiress whose last words were that anyone who is brave enough to follow the clues will find her jewels – so that is what Skylar sets out to do, even when faced with a gang of thugs who are out to beat her to the jewels.

I loved that her best friend is challenged (dyslexia) and how Sky helps her out (and she helps Sky). In addition to the mystery, there’s the usual teen angst with bullies, hunky guys, and a big dance coming up.

I’m really looking forward to more from this author.
Definitely recommended.

HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST CHARM by Lillie Vale

YA, Romance, Fantasy, Lesbian, LGBT, Contemporary

4****

Blurb: The occasionally magic, always superstitious town of Prior’s End is famous for three. Whimsical charm at the annual Fall Festival. The legend of the wishing well hidden in a forest bristling with secrets. And Nova Marwood’s missing hiker father. Every year without him, it gets easier to pretend Nova doesn’t believe in myth and magic. Easier to pretend she’s doing okay. Easier to pretend she doesn’t have a secret crush on the girl she fake-hates. Kiara Mistry is the luckiest girl in town and the thief of every crush Nova had her heart set on first. In theory, Nova should resent Kiara. But it’s getting harder to deny her feelings. When Nova lays an unintended hex on Kiara at the Fall Festival, and one misfortune after another swiftly follows, soon Kiara’s very survival at stake. To reverse the bad luck, Kiara’s exes turned BFFs commence a quest for the miraculous wishing well. There’s only one person who can get them there . . . Nova. But to save Kiara—and maybe find her dad, too—she’ll have to believe in something much stronger than magic. Nova will need to believe in herself.

Thoughts: This is a story about love, grief, family, magic, and believing in yourself. There are definitely issues that the characters have that work well for the age of them (17). I will say that Nova seemed like a brat more often than not, but I understood her issues. She lost her father when she was ten to the forest. He went into the magical forest to search for his friend and never came out again. This story takes place on the 7th anniversary of his disappearance as Nova’s mother, on the advice of her psychic friend, is about to declare him dead. In addition to that problem, Nova has feelings (that she denies) for the perfect Kiara. When Nova pretends to be the psychic one evening, she hexes Kiara to have problems.

Words have power, as Nova finds out. Could she also be responsible for the disappearance of her father?

The only way to undo the hex is to find the mysterious well deep in the forest and wish her hex undone. But which hex should she undo? The one for Kiara? Or for her father? Because you only get one wish.

This is a story with a lot of depth. With nastiness, and goodness, with lies and truths, and with difficult decisions that could change a life.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Netgalley and Viking 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”

UP IN FLAMES by Andrew Grey

Contemporary Romance, M/M, Gay

4****

Blurb: Newly minted firefighter Chase Van Casten had his heart ripped to shreds and is just getting it put back together.  He’s always seen things others missed, except for matters of the heart, and on his first fire call on his new job in Carlisle PA, something just doesn’t feel right.  But the other firefighters don’t believe him.  It isn’t until a second fire that Chase is able to say for sure that they are being set, and the only person willing to listen is the homeowner. Jerrod Whipkey lost everything he owned when his home burned. The cause of the fire, faulty wiring.  As an electrician, he had checked it over thoroughly, and now he’s in danger of losing his reputation along with everything else.  Jerrod believes that Chase is on to something, but neither of them are sure exactly what. Chase and Jerrod spent time together trying to figure out the true case of the fires and along the way, heat builds to white hot between them.  But while Chase keeps Jerrod at arm’s length, the arsonist now seems to have both of them in their sights.  They have to figure a way forward with their hearts intact and uncover the arsonist before they get themselves burned.

Thoughts: Like the other book in the series, this is set in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I love being able to say “I know that place” as the characters take us around the town. There’s enough detail so you know where you are, and even if you don’t know the town, you’ll get a good idea of the setting. The characters are realistic and believable, as are the problems they face.

In this one, Jerrod is an electrician who is raising his 4-year-old nephew. A fire occurs at their house and Chase, a new fireman, saves the little boy, giving him an introduction to the family. As he’s trying to help Jerrod out, he discovers that an arsonist is responsible for the fire, as well as several others around town. Someone is out to get rid of Jerrod and Chase can’t have that. The two work together with the police and investigators to figure out what’s going on and how to stop it before the fires turn deadly. Meanwhile Jerrod and Chase grow closer to forming a family of three.

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”

PUZZLED 4 MURDER by J.C. Eaton

Cozy Mystery, Jigsaw Puzzles

4****

Blurb: Soaring temperatures and a giant jigsaw puzzle combine to form a picture of murder . . . It’s a blistering hot summer in Sun City West, and members of the retirement community are happy to escape into the air-conditioned bliss of the library to work on a mammoth forty-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. But things begin heating up inside, too, when members clash with the domineering head of the puzzle committee over which puzzle to solve—until someone settles the matter by killing her. Now it’s up to Sophie “Phee” Kimball to put all the pieces of the murder plot together and catch the culprit responsible. Any number of the jigsaw aficionados could have wanted the victim out of the picture for her personality alone, but Phee suspects there was a more sinister motive behind the murder. Then the chosen puzzle and the library itself are struck by one instance of sabotage after another, and Phee’s convinced that someone is sending a menacing message. But just as she unearths a telling clue and slots it into place, she finds herself in a race against time to finish the puzzle and solve the case—before the killer goes to pieces and finishes her off too . . .

Thoughts: Sophie (Phee) works as an accountant for a private investigator–whose team seems to do more investigating than the local cops do! This is the 14th book in this series, and it’s no less fun than the others. It takes place in Sun City West – a suburb of Phoenix, AZ. In this one, the committee of seniors are putting together a 40,000 piece mega-puzzle that will be featured in a magazine at the end of the summer. Unfortunately, things keep happening to prevent them from finishing the puzzle–an old picture of a street in Phoenix. The lead committee member is found dead, pieces of the puzzle go missing or are defaced, and members receive threatening letters.

It’s up to Phee, her husband (a P.I.) and the rest of the team to decipher exactly what is happening and why, but it takes Phee’s mother’s irritating dog to get to the final answer.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing 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”

Blurb: Annie O’Toole is a St. Louis Public Defender, passionate about fighting for the underdog and determined to prove herself as the badass trial lawyer she knows she can be.  Getting assigned to defend the kid charged with shooting billionaire businessman, Michael Grayson, is a big step up for her career. At least until the hot guy she seduced at the Justice for All Ball shows up at her office in response to her deposition subpoena. Turns out the sexy stranger who introduced himself only as ‘Mick’, the guy she’s been fantasizing about since slipping away while he slept — is none other than the billionaire himself, Michael Grayson. She’s horrified. He’s furious. He thinks she set him up. She thinks he’s an arrogant ass in a Savile Row suit. Sparks, intrigue, and bullets fly in a mix of swoon and suspense as the two battle each other, the bad guys, and an off-limits attraction neither can ignore. When the evidence leads back into Michael’s inner corporate circle, the two are plunged into a world of international intrigue, corporate espionage, and murder — with a side dish of unresolved family drama as Annie is forced to turn to the only expert in corporate intrigue she knows, her own estranged grandmother.  Now all she has to do is solve the case, escape her grandmother’s plans to take over her life (again), and save her client, her career, and the man whose lifestyle she despises . . . and whose touch she can’t forget. 

Amazon

Note: Both a book club guide and a bonus episode are available through the author’s website.
https://catjameson.com/books/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cat Jameson is enjoying her third career, this one as a writer of romance novels packed with equal parts suspense, snark, and spice. Before that, she was a criminal defense lawyer for almost three decades, a life experience that finds its way into her stories. Upon retiring from the practice of law, Jameson began a second career as co-owner of a metaphysical bookstore— exchanging her law books for books on astrology, tarot, and non-mainstream spiritual traditions. “People see that as a 180-degree shift,” Cat explains with a laugh, “but in truth, both have always been a part of me. The only thing that changed was which was front and center.” She says the same is true for her third career as a writer: “I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. I just never sent any of them out into the world.” That changed in 2024 when Jameson’s debut novel, Chasing Shadows, was not only sent out, but picked up by The Wild Rose Press.

A native Missourian, Jameson grew up in a small town near the Ozark Mountains, the middle child of a railroader and a teacher, before moving to St. Louis to attend Washington University School of Law. She wound up staying in St. Louis for most of her legal career and the city features prominently in both her debut novel and two others she has in the works. Today, she resides in Columbia, Missouri or, as Jameson calls it, “the middle of the middle of Flyover Country, halfway between the Kansas City Chiefs to the west and the St. Louis Cardinals to the east.” When not writing, shop-keeping, or playing with grandkids, Jameson is most likely to be off on a road trip with her best friend and business partner in a ten-year-old van named Woo — stopping at every bookstore and thrift shop along the way, loading up on ‘things they do not need and have no room for.’

Website: https://catjameson.com/

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Hawaii

4****

Blurb: Paradise is shaken when the body of a young woman is dragged onto a university research vessel during a class outing in Hilo Bay. Cleo Cooper is shaken when she finds her favorite student is on the hook for the murder. Danger lurks on land and sea as Cleo and her friends are enticed to search for the true killer. In between paddling, swimming, and arguing with her boyfriend, Cleo discovers all is not what it seems on the Big Island of Hawaii. But will she figure out the truth before she becomes the next victim?

Thoughts: There is a lot going on in this story.
The author wove a tale of mystery and family issues as well as the cultural aspects of living in Hawaii. I loved the imagery and interesting dialogue of the island. It’s obvious that the author must have lived on the big island for a time in order to give us such depth of flavor. There’s no way a mainlander would have done as good a job. I have visited other islands, but not the big on, but with the author’s descriptions, I felt like I was there. I will also say that she pulled on my emotions so much, that I sat here and cried during a couple of scenes (and no, I won’t spoil the story by telling you why). Just know that it was hard to read and I completely understood.

As far as the mystery goes, Cleo (the main character) is looking into the murder of a young woman, Ali. Her boyfriend—a friend of Cleo and her husband’s TA—has been accused of the murder. But everyone who knows him knows he couldn’t have done it. So who did? There are a lot of leads since Ali’s background included drug dealing and her family isn’t exactly the best. But the police don’t want to hear Cleo’s theories. And there are plenty of other suspects as well—a shady professor, a jealous woman, another man in Ali’s life…and more.

While Cleo is trying to solve the mystery, she’s also trying to help her dog Suki, and train Ali’s large puppy (the borzoi). And save her relationship with her husband that has become strained. There is so much going on here, it almost felt like three stories in one—the murder mystery, the dogs, and Cleo’s romantic life. But the author does a decent job of weaving them all together. Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t quite the neat tie-up at the end. Oh, we do find out who the murderer is (and for a change, it wasn’t who I thought!), and the dogs’ story is taken care of, but Cleo’s is not. So I’ll assume that is left for later stories.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book from Zeitgeist (Penguin Random House) 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”

Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Thriller

4****

Blurb: Erin Moore, kidnapped as a teenager and held for months, learns her abductor is up for parole. The police always believed her captor acted alone, and that the female accomplice Erin described years ago was the fabrication of a traumatized mind. Twenty years later, Erin leads a rigidly structured life with her husband and two young daughters and has a successful psychology practice in the same small midwestern town. When her abductor is paroled early and goes missing, leaving behind a large pool of blood, Erin and her husband become suspects. Erin receives threatening notes she is certain came from the accomplice, but she is unable to convince the police the menace is real. As Erin watches her life unravel, including her marriage, career and possibly her sanity, she knows the only way out is to bring the accomplice to justice, even if it’s twenty years late.

Thoughts: This book is full of suspense and angst. The main character, Erin Moore, was kidnapped when she was a young teen and kept for months. She was rescued and the man who held her sentenced to 25 years in prison. But he might get out early. Erin has lived her entire life in fear of the woman accomplice, but nobody believes her. Not then, not now. She, her husband, and two daughters live in a beautiful home surrounded by high security fences and cameras. Even though she is a practicing psychologist, she can’t get past her fear or the knowledge that there’s another person out there. Every year on her birthday, she receives a postcard, but nobody will believe it’s from this so-called accomplice. Then the kidnapper gets out… and is killed.

The characters are frighteningly realistic, as is the premise for the story. And the twist at the end was unexpected – and well-done.

If you’re the nervous type, I suggest reading this during daylight hours with all the lights on. And make sure to lock all your doors and windows.

Recommended.

A SIDE DISH OF DEATH by T.C. LoTempio

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Cats, #5 in Series

4****

Blurb: When a celebrity chef is murdered, Shell McMillan has to cook up a plan to trap the killer of a man for all seasonings . . .

With adopt-a-cat month in full swing in Fox Hollow, pet shop owner Shell McMillan decides that hosting a night of murder mystery dinner theater will be a fun way to raise funds for the cause. But she didn’t realize that the celebrity chef she’d hired for the event would turn out to be a tyrannical snob, or that her scoundrel of an ex-fiancé would turn up with his own shady agenda. Still, the show must go on, and as the lighthearted plot on-stage unfolds, the scene off-stage turns decidedly darker when the chef is found murdered. Rather than question an entire roomful of possible suspects, Shell determines that looking into the victim’s past will lead her to the culprit more quickly. What she finds is that the chef had left behind a disreputable past and a trail of disgruntled people, including a long string of women he’d wronged and a host of others who may have been out for revenge. But as Shell closes in on the killer, the killer is closing in on her. And she’s discovering that while too many cooks can spoil the broth, being a murderer’s next target can really ruin your appetite . . .

Thoughts: Who doesn’t love a good mystery with cats. Specifically, Purrday, Princess, and Kahlua. I loved how they helped Shell out of a couple of tight spots, found not one, but two dead bodies, and helped catch the perp.

Shell is helping host a charity “adopt-a-cat” event – during a hurricane – and with a murder mystery theme. What could possibly go wrong? Right. Add in an egotistical chef and you have all the fixings for a murder. Fortunately, Shell’s boyfriend, a cop, is stranded in the building with them so they have built-in support. But so is her ex, who has an issue with the chef. As do several other people. And how does he tie in with the second murder?

This was a fun read, especially with the cats. Loved how they helped out with things. There were a few editorial glitches- like a phone showing up in a pocket when a few pages earlier, it was pointed out that she didn’t have her phone. And it was rather obvious to me from the start who the murderer was – just not the why until later. But overall, an entertaining read with a satisfying ending. And you don’t have to know the entire series to understand who the players are and what’s going on in this one.

Recommended.

Disclosure of Material: Thanks to Netgalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for providing this 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”

UNDERCOVER BABYMOON

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Most mothers-to-be spend their pregnancy leafing through baby names and shopping for nursery furniture. Minka Avery spends hers trying to hunt down a murderer on the open seas. Minka’s promotion to Orlando PD’s homicide department has some bumps at first, including her growing baby bump. Just as she and her partner begin to hit their stride, Logan Baris’s suspicious death baffles them. The investigation leads the detectives to believe he had a hand in a shady operation, but the cruise ship worker’s troubles seem to voyage into the ocean blues with him. After they meet up with some dead ends on land, Minka convinces her partner and his wife to join her and her husband to embark on a covert investigation on the ship. Will they be able to uncover whatever scheme is underway on the vessel? Or will the choppy waves of personal drama make it run ashore?

THOUGHTS: This was a fun read. It’s #4 in the series, but you don’t *have* to have read the ones that came before – though I suggest you do. It will really help you understand more. But even without the first three, this was still an enjoyable read. Minka Avery is a homicide detective. She is pregnant and deaf – though she wears a cochlear implant. And her cop partner is her brother-in-law. I loved the way she turns off her implant when she doesn’t want to hear anything and uses sign language to her advantage when she doesn’t want others to know what she and her partner are talking about. Going undercover on a cruise ship with her partner, his wife, and her husband is the only way they can keep and eye on the suspects, but it does cause complications, especially with her pregnancy. Not enough though to keep them from success.

Recommended – suggest you get the entire series. It’s worth it.

Disclaimer: 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”

Blurb: The staff at Forever Friends Animal Shelter are faced with a fowl problem. They need to re-home a wild turkey before a group of community gardeners take matters into their own hands. One employee attempts to harvest calm, but his life is cut short with the blade of a hori hori knife. When blame is shoveled onto Lily’s friend, she digs into the lives of the gardeners, unearthing secrets that make everyone a suspect. Can Lily dredge up the truth before the ax falls.

About the Author: Darlene combined her passion for the written word and animals into the Lily Dreyfus series. The books are written based on her experience as a volunteer at the Animal Welfare Association, a no-kill animal shelter in Voorhees, New Jersey. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Membership Chair for SinC Grand Canyon Writers, and served as a mentor in the Sisters in Crime Mentorship program. Darlene lives in New Jersey with her four-legged best friend, Billie.

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