HOME FOR THE HOMICIDES by Rosalie Spielman

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: It’s Christmastime in Army retiree Tessa Treslow’s small Idaho hometown of New Oslo, but someone is determined to play a grinch this season and is robbing local businesses of their holiday cheer! In the midst of preparing for the first annual Running of the Grinches, a fundraiser to support the Sergeant Santa Toy Drive and the local historical society, a string of unfortunate incidents hit the townsfolk hard. It starts with broken windows then progresses to car theft, assault, and arson—each instance accompanied by a clue that clearly ties the crimes together. Tessa organizes a watch patrol for New Oslo, and during her first shift she helps rescue a victim from a fire. Unfortunately, it is clear to Tessa that the woman was already dead before the fire was set. Did the arsonist accidentally kill her…or is something more heinous and less in the spirit of the season at hand? It’s up to Tessa to find out before tragedy strikes again!

Thoughts: Tessa Treslow’s is ex-army and now works with her aunt Edna doing car engine repairs. Tessa is in her 40s and is a no-nonsense kind of person and when vandals start messing with businesses in town, she is called up to organize a citizen watch. Broken windows and stolen gifts are only the beginning as the events increase to include arson and murder. It’s up to Tessa and her cohorts to figure out who the perp is before things get even worse. But doing so, puts her and her aunt into danger.

This was a good mystery with clues and suspects sprinkled throughout the story. But I have to say, my favorite character was Magnus the Moose, who kept eating their Christmas decorations (the pine/fir boughs used to decorate the truck). Tessa and her family and friends attempt to have a great holiday while thwarting the perp(s) with clever ideas on tracking and stopping them.

Recommended.

MINGLING WITH MURDER by Leslie Langree

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Welcome to Mingle, Iowa—We’re Putting Our Past Behind Us! Merry Wrath, ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, is accompanying thirteen year olds Mayor Ava, Betty, Lauren, and Inez from her troop to the regional conference for small town mayors. Mingle, Iowa, the home of the Mayor Mingle conference, is famous for a major scandal in the 1980s that no one seems to remember, even though the current mayor does everything in his power to keep them from forgetting! Have dinner at the Nothing to See Here Restaurant! Relax at the It Didn’t Quite Happen That Way Bar! Merry is excited that her husband and detective, Rex, is getting an award for having a 100% murder solve rate! But she’s concerned that Ava’s presenting The Most Murdery Town—How To Utilize Your Town’s Biggest Assets! Not to be outdone, Ava’s right hand henchgirl, Betty, is presenting on How to Bend City Hall to Your Will & Everything I Learned From Huey Long. Merry’s hoping she can sit in on the sessions to jump in when things most likely go awry (as they often do). We hope you survive—er, enjoy your stay! Unfortunately, things go very awry when one of the mayors is murdered. But who did it? Was it the mayor from the town famous for its termite infestation? Could it be the snooty mayor who descended from her town’s founders? Or the mayor who always dresses like an ear of corn? How about the mayor from the lobster capital of Iowa? Or the mayor who is an actual pig? It doesn’t help that the victim’s dying wish was for Rex to solve this case before the conference ends despite it being out of his jurisdiction! Can Merry and Rex solve this crime in time—or is Mingle destined to have the stain of a new scandal on their Welcome To billboard?

Thoughts: Like previous books in this series, this was an… interesting read. I’m not sure I liked it, but I couldn’t seem to put it down. The characters were unbelievable – and I mean that they were so over the top ridiculous that I couldn’t believe it. The only semi-realistic characters were Merry Wrath (who’s ex-CIA), her husband Rex (detective), Mary (ex-FBI), and her brother Bill (cop). Even the names of the towns are bizarre. (See blurb above)

In this book, Merry and Rex accompany their 13-year-old mayor, Ava, and her three cohorts to a mayor convention in the town of Mingle, Iowa. While there, the mayor of Mingle is killed and, while there are multiple police in attendance with their mayors, it’s up to the foursome of Merry, Mary, Rex, and Bill to solve the crime.

Meanwhile, Ava and her cohorts are turning the convention into their own kind of playground by leading sessions on how to make city councils bend to your will (and effectively doing so) and other forms of coercion. They are actually rather scary! And only in sixth grade!

The story is so tongue-in-cheek and silly as to be groan-worthy hilarious.

Recommended – but only if you are willing to completely suspend any sense of sanity while reading this.

I just finished reviewing my 100th book for this year. Some were amazing, some were okay, and some… well, just not for me. But that’s the way reviews go. It’s very subjective. What I like, you may not. And what you love, I may not care for. I remember years ago, a very dear friend who is no longer with us raved over a book she absolutely loved. In fact, she liked it so much, she bought me a copy (hard cover) and sent it through the mail across the country so I could read it and we would talk about how amazing it was. So I got the book and started reading… and hated it!!! I didn’t like the characters, the plot seemed contrived and the ending didn’t appeal at all. But how could I tell her that? (She was battling stage 4 cancer at the time). But I couldn’t lie to her. So we discussed it and we agreed to disagree—but nicely.

And that’s the way reviews go. I will give my opinion on a book, but it is just that, my opinion. But I will always do my best to give you why I liked/didn’t like a particular book and what worked/didn’t work for me. And that’s all I can do.

So keep writing, keep reading, and if you happen to read a book I recommended, I hope you enjoy it!

PASSION, POISON, & PUPPY DOGS

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Danger Cove Series

4****

Blurb: In this dog eat dog world, it’s people you have to keep your eye on.  When Lizzie Jones, pet sitter extraordinaire, is asked to watch over her best friend’s two spoiled dogs at the posh gated community of Craggy Hill Estates, the last thing she expects is to wind up in the middle of a homicide. But that’s exactly what happens when she finds her best friend’s cheating husband and Danger Cove’s celebrity bodybuilder champ, Mr. Jupiter, floating facedown in his hot tub. To make matters worse, the police aren’t looking any further than the wife for a suspect—isn’t it always the wife? Well, not in this case—at least Lizzie refuses to believe it. Between dealing with Craggy Hill’s hot security guard, Tino Morales—who also just happens to be the man who broke Lizzie’s heart in high school, caring for her grieving friend, and watching three rambunctious dogs, Lizzie has her hands full. So she recruits her famous granddad, retired network field correspondent, Jimmy John Jones, to help her put two and two together to find the real killer. Was Mr. Jupiter murdered by one of his women on the side? A jealous, disgruntled employee? Or someone with a bitter and deep-seated hatred of the superstar? It’s up to Lizzie, Jimmy John, and Lizzie’s own pug, Vader, to crack the case before the killer claims another victim…this one much closer to Lizzie’s own heart!

Thoughts: Murder and mystery abound in Danger Cove. In this one, Lizzy (a pet sitter and hopeful veterinarian student) is helping out her best friend, Caroline, who is accused of murdering her husband. Especially when the police find out they were getting a divorce. But Lizzy is certain Caroline is innocent. She enlists the help of her grandfather, Jimmy Jones- an old newspaper reporter—and Tino, a local (hottie) security guard to help her find the real killer. There are plenty of suspects, though the one detective refuses to look anywhere but who he believes is the killer—Caroline. Lizzy, Jimmy, and Tino go to work, and when they do discover who the real one is, it’s almost too late for Caroline. 

The characters are realistic, though I will admit to a definite distaste for Detective Mallery. He is really awful. But a great character in that the author really makes me dislike him! I love that Jimmy and Caroline’s aunt Fran are a couple. Those two belong together. All in all, the characters run the story, and they work well here. Like the other books in the series, the town of Danger Cove and the surrounding ocean, inlet, and Pirate’s Hook island make up the scenery as well as some of the businesses in the town.

Overall, a good addition to the series. Recommended.

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

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.

Amazon

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 …

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.

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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.