Tag: reading

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: 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: 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.

A Contract Between Us

Doing something a bit different today. So pull up a chair, grab a favorite drink (green mint for me today) and let’s chat. I’d like to talk to you about reviews. Why I do them – or why I don’t.

As an author myself, I do reviews for other authors to help them out. This is not an easy career we have gotten ourselves into and I figure every little bit helps. And for some reason, review seem to be the way sellers decide where your book goes in their analytics. Plus, I love to read. And tell others about the books I read.

But, if you ask me to review a book for you, I see that as a sort of contract between us. Although you can’t force me to give a review, once I’ve accepted your book, I feel obligated to read it. That’s just who I am. But there are times… I’m reading one right now that I do not like. But I am slogging my way through it – mainly because it’s by a writer I have loved in the past. Had I read this one first, I would never have bought another by her. I had certain expectations when I picked it up and it is not living up to those expectations. In this past year, I have read almost 200 books. Of that 200, there were only two that I did not finish at all. One was sent to me as a paranormal fantasy – one of my favorite genres. When I opened the story, the first two pages were full of zombies and gore. If you read my “So You Want a Review” page, you will see the first thing I say is that I do not read horror. Or gore. Or zombies Or anything like that. Ever. I will not do it. And this person sent me his book anyway. His blurb (which I did read) lied about what was in the story. He lied to me about his story. And his name is now in my notebook to never read another book of his, to never recommend him, and to never help promote him. He broke his contract of expectations with me. I did not write his book up at all. The second one was a nonfiction book that was not well-written, had no citations for quotes, and no footnotes or endnotes for those citations along with other nonfiction issues. But understand this, reviewing is completely subjective. I may detest a book, but others may love it. What I will do is give those I enjoy as honest a review as I can. But as always, it is only one person’s opinion – mine.

Two books out of 200. Most of them I enjoyed. A few, like the current one, I slogged my way through, but I did finish them. A friend asked me why I kept reading if I didn’t care for the book. It goes back to that implied contract. I really do try to find something good in each book I read. I know how hard it is to write one, let alone get it published. And I will continue to promote authors (except that one guy!) when I am able. This is my contract with you, the author.

And coming up in the next few weeks, you will get a look at my favorite books for the year. So stay tuned for the Best of 2024 from me. And keep writing those 5 Sparkler books!