Tag: book-review

Review: Potions and the Pleasantly Poisoned

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

4****

Blurb: At 40, Dani Williams thought she knew all her family secrets. Gran’s apple pie recipe? Check. The location of grandpa’s hidden cigarette stash? Double check. But when her gran dies, she discovers the biggest secret of them all. All the women in her family are witches. Including her. And the timing couldn’t be worse. After a tough six months, Dani’s life is in ruins. When she returns to Point Pleasant to deal with her gran’s estate, she is plagued by haunting visions of a woman’s death. She realizes who the woman is too late to save her. She knows the woman was murdered, but unfortunately, seeing something in a prophetic dream doesn’t count as evidence. Dani refuses to sit idle while the killer remains at large. With every ounce of her newfound magic, she races against time to unravel the mystery. But there’s one problem—Gran kept her witch heritage hidden, and Dani must navigate her powers alone. Can Dani unveil the true murderer before an innocent person takes the fall? Join her on a thrilling journey through magic, mystery, and self-discovery in this enchanting paranormal cozy mystery.

THOUGHTS: This was a good cozy with a different sort of twist – instead of a nasty person being murdered, it was actually a decent person who was a friend of the “sleuth”.

Dani, the amateur sleuth, is newly divorced, 40, and out of a job. She returns to Point Pleasant, WA to deal with her beloved grandmother’s estate, she starts seeing things and feeling things that don’t make sense. Then she learns that she is a witch and her gran had been suppressing her powers. Now, she not only has to learn how to use her new powers, but also help solve the murder of a good friend. While searching out the perps, she comes to realize that she has more friends there than in Spokane…a great house in her gran’s Victorian home, and the possibility of a job—and a cute cop guy. But someone doesn’t want her there and especially doesn’t want her looking into her friend’s murder. Thankfully, there are others who do want her to stay around.

Recommended.

Review: Funerals & Familiars

FUNERALS & FAMILIARS by Carmen Radtke

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

4****

Blurb: Midlife can be murder – or magic…
Almost fifty and freshly divorced, Bex Merriweather is going through The Change – battling hot flashes and night sweats. Little does she realize that when an elderly relative dies and leaves her a lending library in sleepy Willowmere, complete with cat, her whole life is going to change… Turns out Aunt Violet left behind more than books and home-made herbal teas, like full-blown witch powers, and a small town where murder is very much on the menu. Even Cosmo the cat is no ordinary feline, but a sassy talking familiar. And when rumors about her aunt’s death begin to circulate, Bex has no choice but to embrace her witchy inheritance, and her inner detective. Now the novice witch, armed only with her circle of lifelong friends and a snarky, judgemental cat mentor, must uncover the truth, before her newly acquired magical life goes up in smoke. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, magical mayhem, and heroines who believe it’s never too late for a new chapter—or a little witchcraft!

THOUGHTS: Bex is 50, newly divorced and living in a tiny apartment when she gets the news that her beloved Aunt Violet has died. Bex dyes her hair blue (because she can), and heads to the small town where she grew up to discover she has inherited the house, a lending library, a cat with attitude (who talks!), and magical powers. Cosmo the cat is not only her familiar, but her mentor who has to teach her how to use her powers and fast, because they have not one, but two murders to solve before there’s another. She has to learn how to control her magical hot flashes (different from her regular hot flashes), and bake “special” cookies. She has a cadre of friends who help her deal with everything and have some pretty special gifts of their own.  

A cute paranormal cozy and the beginning of a series that holds promise. And a satisfying ending.

Recommended.

Review: The Bleed-Through Effect

REVIEW: THE BLEED-THROUGH EFFECT by Amy DaSilva

Fiction, Science Fiction

4****

Blurb: Amidst a complex web of love, betrayal, and the quest for power, morality is tested, and two soulmates must face the consequences of choices they make across multiple lives.
Charlotte and Simon are ready to move on with their lives after dismantling the black-ops agency known as Quantym. But when Charlotte begins suffering from nightmares and disturbing visions, she fears events on the Periphery—her parallel life—are impacting her and she’s suffering consequences of the bleed-through effect. In a dual timeline between the main reality and the Periphery, Charlotte and Simon must confront the blurred lines between strength and weakness, love and loyalty, and their past and future. As they struggle to regain control over their lives, a catastrophic secret is revealed, a vengeful lover on a quest for power closes in, and Charlotte must figure out a way forward…even when the past refuses to let go.

THOUGHTS: This is the perfect sequel to the first book “Periphery”. Like the first one in the duology, this one involves Charlotte, Simon, and Jared—Charlotte’s dead husband. Or is he? The black ops company Quantym is not as defunct as Charlotte and Simon think it is and Jared and his father, Mitch, are after Charlotte in multiple universes because of her ability to understand and manipulate the multi-verses.

Like the first book, the characters are well-crafted and you find yourself hoping for a good outcome for Charlotte and Simon while wanting the demise of Jared and Mitch. There is a lot that goes on here and you have to pay attention to all the twists and turns or you’ll forget which one of the universes you’re in and what’s going on in each. Yes, it can be a challenging read, but the writing is so vivid that you’ll be engaged in the story. And there’s a satisfying ending that lets you know everything is going to be okay for Charlotte and Simon.

Recommended.

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”

Review: First Time’s a Yarn

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal (ghosts)

5*****

Blurb: Breezy Marston is almost 30 and doing her best to re-rail her derailed life plan. After losing the job she thought she would hold until she was old and decrepit, her best friend, Ammyleigh, throws out an idea for them to start their own business making homemade crochet items. As they are working on getting that off the ground, Breezy gets a phone call that she has to go pick up her youngest sibling, Oona, who is 15 and getting released early from juvie. Now, she is expected to be responsible for Oona in all areas of work, school, and home life. Then she also ends up with Juniper, Oona’s friend from juvie. More expectations. After they find Juniper’s ex-boyfriend and his older brother dead, Russian bad guys start chasing them, Breezy finds out she is some kind of “sleeper agent” for a government experiment, and, oh, she can talk with ghosts. Can she and her group figure out who killed the two boys before an angry Russian or ghost gets to her first?

THOUGHTS: I loved this story! I was expecting your standard cozy, but this is so much more. From the main character being part of a secret government experiment earlier in her life that lets her see ghosts, to the digital coding (and learning new words about it!) and the Russian mafia. She starts a business doing crochet and pulls in her best friend, juvie sister (Oona), sister’s friend (Jasmine), and the elderly Mary’s from the local church to help. Her brother is a cop and his partner is a hunk (of course). They find Jasmine’s boyfriend and his brother dead and the fun (not!) begins. There really is a lot going on in this story (loved the hidden basement!) and I can definitely see more books coming for Breezy and her “team”. This one has a satisfying ending with a surprise twist. Yes, it all may be a bit much for some people, but I really did enjoy this. And the crochet pattern at the end is a bonus. Definitely going to try that one.

Recommended.

Review: A Poison Manicure & Peach Liqueur

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: It’s Christmas in Danger Cove, and all Cassidi Conti wants is clients. A rival salon owner has come to town and stolen The Clip and Sip’s business. Her holiday hopes go south, however, after someone sexes up the sleigh display at her open house, and an incident from the past makes the paper. Luckily, her tough talkin’ Texan aunt rides to her rescue, and she’s madder ‘n The Grinch in a gift shop. But when a nail client drops dead at her rival’s salon, and the killer sends unseasonal greetings to The Clip and Sip, Cassidi wonders whether an entire Texas cavalry could save her from the impending disaster. She has to act fast to figure out who the manicure murderer is, or her Noël could be nixed—forever.

THOUGHTS: The Sip & Clip is in trouble again – or rather, Cassidi and Gia are. They’re losing business to the new upscale salon in Danger Cove, run by Ivy Li. When Ivy’s latest client ends up dead right outside the salon, fingers point to her, but she manages to place the blame directly on Cassidi and Gia. Enter Cassidi’s aunt, Magnolia, in all her rootin-tootin-gun-totin’ glory, along with her Ouija board, her pink Cadillac (with Texas longhorn horns on the front) and her passion for contacting the spirit of Barry Manilow. From him, she gets hints of what’s going on.

And there’s a lot. Murder, blackmail, treasure hunting, and more—all at Christmas time. I loved Magnolia! She was a hoot. But Gia was starting to get to me with her Jersey girl guff. Her over-the-top actions got a little old after a while. And our favorite (not!) cop, Detective Marshall, is back and ready to arrest whoever the wrong person is (usually Cassidi).

The mystery was good (though I knew the perp from almost the beginning), the characters well done, and a satisfying ending that was a hoot.

Recommended.

Review: The Magic of Death

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

4****

Blurb: Witches, Murder, and Ghosts, oh my!
Welcome to Dead End, Texas, a tourist town where it’s spooky season all year long… Star Bell comes from a long line of witches originating all the way back to Salem—if her granny is to be believed. While the rest of her family employs their magical abilities in their assorted businesses on Main Street, Star flat out refuses to use her own because communicating with the dearly departed has never brought her anything but trouble. And the one spirit she wants to talk to—her sister Astra—has ghosted her. So why bother? And if that’s not enough for an almost forty-year-old to deal with, she’s living with three generations of Bells. Between her sixty-year-old aunt who is acting like a teenager and her teenage niece who isn’t acting much like herself, Star doesn’t have a moment of peace these days. But when her niece becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, Star must embrace her power and enlist the spirits of Dead End to help find the real killer before she becomes a permanent resident of Dead End herself.

THOUGHTS: This was an intense, but fun paranormal cozy mystery. Star is the main character and she can see and talk to ghosts. Which can be both good and bad. She also gets visions – ones that, in this case, show events that happened years ago but lead to the recent killings in their small town of Dead End. There are a lot of corruptions and secrets abound throughout. Star’s family is quirky and interesting in that they are witches. Star uses her gift/curse to help her discover the killer(s), but nearly ends up being a victim herself.

The story plot was intriguing and had a satisfying end. The characters well done, and the scene setting fit the story. What the story needed though was better editing. There were quite a few glitches throughout, but that didn’t lower my enjoyment of the story.

Recommended.

Review: Ropes & Last Hopes

ROPES & LAST HOPES by Trixie Silvertale

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: When a suspicious death takes the life of a friend, our psychic sleuth must expose a killer’s dirty laundry… Mitzy Moon hopes for a normal day running errands. And this time, she’s determined to get her grandmother’s couture properly cleaned. But her day gets stuck in a spin cycle when she encounters crime-scene tape at the dry cleaner’s and a puzzling murder. With her only way into the case through an undercover stint in the women’s wrestling league, Mitzy charges ahead with little help from her mentor, Ghost-ma, or her entitled feline. But if the bell rings before she corners the suspect, more lives could end up on the ropes. Can Mitzy hold a murderer down for the count, or will she be taken out in a lethal smackdown? Ropes and Last Hopes is the prequel novella to the hilarious new paranormal cozy mystery series, Harper and Moon Investigations, a spinoff from the popular Mitzy Moon Mysteries. If you like snarky heroines, supernatural intrigue, and a dash of romance, then you’ll love Trixie Silvertale’s wedded whodunits.

THOUGHTS: Mitzy Moon has inherited from a bookstore, a strange building, and a fortune from her grandmother. Oh, and a closet full of high-fashion clothing. And the ghost of her grandmother loves to tell her how to live her life. Grams lives with her as does a wildcat that seems to have a way with clues to mysteries. In this one, a beloved lawyer who helps endangered women with her skills is killed and Mitzy goes undercover (without much covering) as a female wrestler in order to help find the killer.

There were parts of this that I loved, and parts that had me scratching my head in confusion. If this is supposed to be the prequel to a series, there sure does seem to have been a ton of stuff going on before hand. I found the beginning rather confusing, but by the end, I was enjoying the read. But it took me almost a hundred pages to get there.

Still, not a bad story and it has a mostly satisfying ending (while setting up for the next book). Recommended.

Review: Black Magic Murder

BLACK MAGIC MURDER by Polly Holmes

Fiction, Paranormal Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Careful what you wish for! Graduating to a fully-fledged witch on my upcoming birthday should be a momentous occasion, but when a local hairdresser turns up dead, I know it’s going to be one hell of a week. Saltwater Cove’s resident infuriating fae looks like a good suspect for the murder, but insists she’s innocent and reveals a huge secret too amazing to be a lie. But if she didn’t do it… then who did?
The murder triggers the return of a dark force… dark enough to send even the most experienced witches into panic mode. Harriet, Jordi and Tyler join me as I try to find the culprit, putting my magical abilities to the ultimate test. When the killer strikes even closer to home, I need to up my game if I’m going to keep evil at bay.…or have I finally met my supernatural match? If you like witty witches, talking cats, and magical murder mysteries, then step into the fun and flirty romantic paranormal cozy mystery world of the Melting Pot Café series where the spells are flowing, and the adventure is sure to leave you craving more.

THOUGHTS: This was a fun story with a lot of twists and turns. Although this is the sixth in the series, you don’t really have to have read the others to understand what’s going on. I didn’t – though I’m going to. And is seriously suggest you do as well so you do get some of the nuances of the story – like them hunting for a Sphere that appears to be a continuing plot line.

In this one, Evelyn is approaching her twenty-fifth birthday which is when she’ll become a full-fledged witch. If she passes the test of the Council. Everyone wants to throw her a grand party, but she wants nothing to do with that. Especially since she has to prove to the cops that she wasn’t responsible for a recent murder.

I enjoyed the quirky characters, the family/friend dynamics- and the ending (not giving it away, but it was good). But the series is definitely not over as the thread of the Sphere and the mystery surrounding the deaths of Evelyn’s parents continues on.

Recommended.

Review: A Traveler’s Guide to the Lucky Gryphon

Recipes & Regalings by Stephen Warren & McKenzie

Fantasy, Cookbook, Short Stories

5*****

Blurb: Hello there, traveler!Welcome to The Lucky Gryphon, the most magical tavern in the Crossroads. We’ve been expecting you. Your quest is keep this book safe. What you’re holding is a journal unlike any other. This book will reveal some of the tavern’s history, as well as scraps of insight on mine and Minthie’s origins. There are even some personal notes from the others that call The Lucky Gryphon home.
-Quincy

Over the centuries, this collection of tales has become a bit much for Quincy and me to remember. So, we’re sharing with you a few of our secrets, and inviting you to learn some of our famous recipes.
-Minthie

“A Traveler’s Guide to The Lucky Recipes & Regalings” is a cross between a fantasy storybook and cookbook. Accompanying each recipe is a short story detailing the recipe’s origin, lore about the tavern, or a personal tale from one of the tavern keepers, Quincy and Minthie. With over 60 illustrations depicting everything from savory meals to sweet desserts, delicious drinks and easy snacks, there’s something in here for every foodie. From the archives of Minthie’s Library to you, this book is perfect for any fan of magic, fantasy, and food.

Thoughts: This book is a combination tale and recipe book that brings the characters of Quincy’s Tavern to life. There’s Quincy, Minthe, Stubby, and so many more. I love the tales of how some of the recipes came into being. And the names are as unique and fun as the tales behind them. And yet, they are simple to make and the ingredients easy to find. 

If I have any reservations about this at all, it’s that this book is only available in e-book format. I really, really want to hold a print book in my hands. 

Thank you to the authors for creating such a wonderful “recipe” book. 

Definitely recommended.

Review: Return to Victoria Island

RETURN TO VICTORIA ISLAND by Karen Andover

Fiction, Romantic Suspense

4****

Blurb: When hardworking accountant Ava Morrison is passed over for her dream promotion, she is disappointed. But when her employer gives her two weeks to sign a high-value client or be fired, she is devastated. Victoria Island’s annual boat show seemed like a good place to recruit wealthy businesspeople. Someone is stealing from property developer Jack Rutledge and he needs the help of a discreet accountant. He asks Ava to audit his company books and in return he will introduce her to potential clients. But soon things turn dangerous. And the partnership becomes personal. Will it add up to love or a fatal miscalculation?

Thoughts: This was an entertaining story with a lot of angst and suspects. There was really good imagery, putting you on the beach, in the heat, in the parties with the rich people. The setting fit the plot in that it needed to be near the ocean for certain elements to work. The characters were unique and believable and the reasons for what was happening worked well too.

Ava has spent five years trying to build up her client list at the accounting firm where she works, but unless she can bring in big-name clients, she’ll be fired. I was mad enough at her boss to wish she’d just have walked out then and there, but that didn’t happen. She’s given two weeks to make it so she heads to her parents’ vacation condo on Victoria Island. Unfortunately, her “vacation” turns nasty when vandals continually harass her, both online and at the condo. She takes a temp job with the Rutledge firm to try to figure out who’s embezzling money. When she discovers the thief, things take a turn from bad to worse. It’s up to Ava and Jack to figure out who all the players are and why these things are happening.

The romance is nicely done – and this is a clean-cut story – no physical details at all. Which is fine for a change. There’s a HEA ending that satisfies, and hints at further stories on the island.

Recommended.