Death at High Tide

Title: Death at High Tide
Author: Hannah Dennison
Published: August 18th 2020 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Island Sisters Mystery #1

As the body count climbs, an eerie Agatha Christ vibe takes over. An island hotel on Tregarrick Rock, off the coast of Cornwall, during the foggy offseason with only a few people in resident and you begin to realize that one by one they will die. It is now up to the author to not spill too many secrets at once. As characters are introduced, and subsequently die, you begin to narrow your suspect list, and with this, a new series by Hannah Dennison is born.

A series that introduces Evelyn (Evie) Mead, recently widowed, and her sister Margot, who is about to encounter life changes of her own. Each sister has been holding on to their secrets, but as the fog rolls in and the body count climbs, the sisters begin a quest for honesty that will bond them even tighter and give them the strength they need to set their worlds right. A world, for Evie, that involves her late husband’s financial dealings, an accounting that is trying to sort it out, and the possibility that she is the rightful owner of Tregarrick Rock. The current owner is challenging that claim, but as the layers unfold, the truth lies somewhere in the muddled mess and with the tide coming in, and a killer coming to roost, Evie and Margot have no other options than to fight for the truth, no matter where it lands them.

Who cares if some parts were a bit obvious isn’t that is what cozies entail? A simple getaway with rememberable characters and an ambiance that can be a character all its own. By the middle of the book, you begin to narrow down the suspects, a la Christie, and by this point, where the author ties up loose ends, you have realized that this series, The Island Sisters, will find a new place on your bookshelf.

The Half Sister

Title: The Half Sister
Author: Sandie Jones
Published: June 16th 2020 by Minotaur Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

After a sluggish start that will turn off many readers, the Half Sister took off, and I found myself in a race to the end.

Only Lauren knew the woman who interrupted the usual Sunday lunch at their widowed mother’s home. Jess, barging in and demanding to speak with her father, catching protective Kate off guard and demanding she leaves, only sets in place more questions. Questions only Lauren has partial answers for and letting the reader know that once you put your DNA profile out there, there is no knowing who will show up at your front door.

Is it possible that Harry, their father having died only a year prior, had another child that the girls were unaware of; Is it possible that their mother knew and never told them? Kate refuses to believe their saintly father could ever do such a thing, while Lauren remembers an incident from 20 years prior which bubbles to the surface.

Where this book begins and where it ends are so opposed, and the reader spends a moment or two wondering what they missed. Then it dawns on you. Words from a wife to a husband, words about responsibility, and then it all fits into place.

Sandie Jones throws in all sorts of side stories and variable what-if, and you, as the reader, are right there with her. As you are trying to tie the parts together, Jones is one step ahead of you systemically tearing them apart. Until the final moments, when each daughter is lying there, gutted with the truth.

Murder's a Witch

Title: Murder's a Witch

Author: Danielle Garrett
Published: September 14th 2017 by CreateSpace
Format: Paperback, 260 pages
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Beechwood Harbor Magic Mystery #1

With so many books within this genre, it is unfortunate Murder's a Witch does not stand out amongst them.

Having been kicked out of several covens, Holly Boldt has found herself in Beechwood Harbor in a pseudo halfway house for paranormals. Ghosts, gargoyles, witches, shifters, vampires, you name it, they have all passed through these doors, but Holly is determined to make a new life here and to keep her housemates safe. All the while flying as low under the radar as possible, since there is a paranormal hunter following her.

Holly’s low-key life comes to a screeching halt when she discovers the body of the woman that owns the coffee house where she works. Not her murder, not her responsibly, or so she thinks until her friend finds herself accused, and Holly must use a potion or two to get to the root of this murder investigation before the killer gets away.

A bit on the superficial side with easy to forget characters that left me wondering if I would have liked it more if I had more of Holly’s backstory, but unfortunately, the answer would still be no.

Every Kind of Wicked

Title: Every Kind of Wicked
Author: Lisa Black
Published: August 25th 2020 by Kensington
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 320 pgs
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Gardiner and Renner #6

This book did not hold my attention at all. I read the first twenty percent, skimmed the middle sixty percent, then read the final twenty without feeling that I missed anything. Lisa Black has a way of repeating herself, and then looking at the same scene from different angles, throws in hardboiled science, then calls it a day.

Jack and Maggie’s so-called bond is starting to wear thin. They each hold the other’s secret, but now it does not seem to matter. Their lives have moved forward, Maggie’s ex-husband is trying to put Jack’s pieces together, but all that comes to a crashing halt when Jack and Maggie, and Rick and his partner, are called out to separate crime scenes that turn out to have more in common than what appears at first glance. After a couple of murders, fraud, money laundering, and a pill mill, there is one final scene that might complicate Jack and Maggie’s lives, but then again, with these two, nothing is ever guaranteed.

I don’t know what happened with this book. It was flat, disjointed, throw everything at the proverbial wall, be done with it, and call it book six. Anyone starting with this book would find it a struggle to start the series from the beginning.

A Royal Affair

Title: A Royal Affair
Author: Allison Montclair
Published: July 28th 2020 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, Hardcover, 320 pages
Genre: Historical Mystery
Series: Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery #2

Starting a new series is always a gamble, but when the second installment is just as entertaining as the first, you know you have come across a keeper that you hope will have a long life.

From the previous book, The Right Sort of Man, you met ex-military operative Iris Sparks and debutant Gwen Bainbridge. Gwen is still fighting for full custody of her son, and Iris is still delighting the readers with her history and knowledge. As co-owners of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau, their days are full of meetings and matches. Yet one afternoon, what they hadn’t anticipated was Gwen’s cousin, Lady Patience Matheson, an employee of Queen Elizabeth, walking through the door with a request to run a background check on Prince Philip. Yes, that Prince Philip, the man who is about to propose to the future Queen Elizabeth II. It appears there are letters that question Philip’s legitimacy and Lady Patience needs this sorted out before the Crown is embarrassed.

At times, there are characters and places that are a bit farfetched, but with the humor and carryings-on, the reader can’t help but to laugh out loud and shake their head. When you think that you must keep your eye on Iris, Gwen steps up, and out of character, saves the day, all with enough time to spare to make it home in time for tea.

To Coach a Killer

Title: To Coach a Killer
Author: Victoria Laurie
Published: August 25th 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 304 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Cat and Gilly Series or the Life Coach Mysteries #2

Cat and Gilly are back at it with book number two in the Cat and Gilly series or the Life Coach Mysteries, depending on where you look, there are two different names. Book number two still has Cat Cooper running her life-coaching business with an occasional client and Gilley Gillespie being her only friend and main-source of entertainment.

Things do begin to spice up when Willem Entwistle, a little man with a big curse, shows up for his appointment, and objects go haywire in the building. Is it possible that he carries a curse? Only one way to find out which entails a call to an old friend who confirms that it is a very distinct possibility. Little did they know that hot air balloons and alpacas would be in their future. But that is not the oddest part. Both professionally and personally, Maks Grinkov is back in Cat’s life. There is chemistry there but is she willing to put her life in danger when a known assassin comes with him. Or is this a step she must take to help Det. Steve Shepherd answer the questions that have plunged him into a dark hole since the death of his ex (or almost) ex-wife.

Thankfully, Victoria Laurie is taking a step back from the usual scooby-do feel that comes with Gilley. Next, if she could step up the presence and humor of her in-house AI, this series (whatever it’s called) would be an automatic purchase for me.

The Book of CarolSue

Title: The Book of CarolSue
Author: Lynne Hugo
Published: August 25th, 2020 by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Format: eBook, Paperback 224 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

For me, Lynne Hugo's books usually start a bit manic, and either I settle into her rhythm, or she calms down, but eventually, we get to a middle ground. While there are so many aspects of this book that did not make sense, I continued to read and loved every bit of it.

The Book of CarolSue takes place a few months after The Testament of Harold's Wife. The reader met Louisa in the previous book, and now we are introduced to CarolSue, Lousia’s sister and recent widow, who was bullied into moving from her upscale life in Atlanta to the family farm in Indiana. It is hard to believe that two sisters could be any more different, but still love each other deeply. Through thick and thin they are bonded, and when Louisa’s son Gary gets into a mess that threatens his church and standing in the community, Louisa and CarolSue form a plan and a united front that will have readers and local authorities, shaking their heads.

Gary has appeared on Louisa’s doorstep with an abandoned baby and an unlikely story. CarolSue does not care about the child’s background, she has connected to her in a way that will have everyone rethinking what laws they are willing to break while Gary desperately tries to find the child's mother. Yet, this is not Gary’s only mistake. He has once again fallen victim to a traveling charlatan who is threatening Gary with IRS fines and will alert the authorities as to what is going on at Louisa’s farm if money is not paid. But there is a plan, with Louisa, there is always a plan, and with this strength, they are willing to sacrifice everything for the one thing that matters.

When I finished this book, I realized that there are many more characters to explore, and I certainly hope that Lynne Hugo continues to entertain her readers with Louisa, CarolSue, Gary, and the ridiculous goings-on at the little farm in Indiana.

Chili Cauldron Curse

Title: Chili Cauldron Curse
Author: Lynn Cahoon
Published: August 25th 2020 by Kensington Books
Format: eBook, 100 Pages
Genre: Novella, Cozy Paranormal
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Kitchen Witch #0.5

The whole time I was reading this book, I kept referring to it as Chili Con Cauldron, which I thought would have made a better title.

This short novella will introduce the reader to Mia Malone, a woman with a legacy of witchcraft, but prefers to live a quiet life away from the community. That is until her grandmother asks her to come to Magic Spring, Idaho, to help organize the local food bank. Of course, Mia will do anything for her Gran. What she wasn’t expecting was the inner turmoil and fighting at the center of the coven. The upheaval that has left its leader, Dorian Alexander dead and Mia destined to be the next victim.

There is potential for this series. It follows the usual cozy/paranormal footprint. Hopefully, Lynn Cahoon will introduce additional characters that will stick with the reader without trying to overwhelm them with rabbit trails of shenanigans.