Charms and Chocolate Chips

Title: Charms and Chocolate Chips
Author: Bailey Cates
Published: November 5th 2013 by NAL
Format: Paperback, 336 pages
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Series: Magical Bakery Mystery #3

I had a difficult time getting into this book, and when I was ready to give up, it began to grabbed my attention. Unfortunately, by the end, I felt that this book took a darker turn than I was expecting, with an ending that dragged on for a bit.

Since the last book, it appears that Katie Lightfoot, when not working at the Honeybee Bakery, is volunteering with a local conservation group. When Katie finds fellow volunteer Autumn Boles dead, she is hesitant to get involved, yet when that naggy witchy feeling comes, she knows that she must use her light witch talents to protect herself and her friends -- especially when there is black magic around and the voice of her deceased grandmother is urging her on.

Other than the dark tone of this book, I did enjoy seeing the appearance of Katie’s mother and how the women in Katie’s life could come together when one of them was in danger. A new path has opened, and now with Katie taking her responsibilities more seriously, it will be interesting to see how good versus evil will play out in future installments. *

A Body in Seaview Grange

Title: A Body in Seaview Grange
Author: Dee MacDonald
Published: November 12th 2020 by Bookouture
Format: eBook, 253 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Kate Palmer #2

Never rule out the improbable since they are also the most probable. Not the exact Sherlockian quote, but it does apply when it comes to book two in the Kate Palmer series by Dee MacDonald.

Kate figured her retirement in the Cotswall’s would be relaxing, but with an undependable sister and a cottage in need of repairs, Practice Nurse Kate is putting in days at the surgery to make ends meet. Being the newest member of the team, Kate is on call when in-home care is needed, and this time the request comes in for a check-up at the local retirement community called Seaview Grange. What Kate didn’t realize was her re-check with Edina Martinelli would also be the last for the annoying ex-opera singer when after a tumble down the stairs, Edina is found dead from a drug overdose. Needing to clear the name of the doctor suspected of overprescribing, Kate starts sticking her nose into the business of residents of Seaview. When she is sure that she has eliminated all the probable people, she is lured back, and going against her common sense, comes face to face with a devious killer.

Past characters are still there, Angie is as unpredictable as usual, but now with a twist of fate, she may have a future. Detective Inspector Woody Forrest has revealed his real first name, and much to Kate’s delight, she finds herself even more enamored. Now with Kate’s need to recover from her latest adventure, she will be jetting off to America to meet Woody’s family and another chance to see where their relationship is going.

I enjoy this series. Kate isn’t your usual vapid twenty something sleuth with bouncing curls. She brings her experience and compassion, and though there are momentary character hiccups in good judgement, she finds herself in unusual and entertaining situations without going all Lucy and Ethyl on the reader.

Gone Before Christmas

Title: Gone Before Christmas
Author: Charles Finch
Published: October 3, 2017 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, 80 pages
Genre: Historical Holiday
Series: Charles Lenox Mysteries #10.5

A novella that incorporates a conversation between Charles and his brother Edmond while recounting a recent case and conveying a bit of sibling rivalry to a warm conclusion during the snowy backdrop of Christmas in London.

Charles Lennox, called in by Scotland Yard, is asked to solve the suspected murder and disappearance of a Lieutenant in the Grenadier Guards -- with the only clues being a spray of blood in the cloakroom and a few personal items on a bench. As rumors and innuendos spread about the Lieutenant’s work and possible collusion, Lennox, with very little to go on, and giant leaps, neatly ties everything before sitting down to his own Christmas dinner.

With a Charles Lennox novel, you must disband a bit of credence since all the facts are not shared with the reader, and you end up playing a game of catch up before the final page and all parts are revealed. Gone Before Christmas is no different, just in novella form.

Sanctuary

Title: Sanctuary
Author: V. V. James
Published: September 8th 2020 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Genre: Paranormal

Heading into this book, I was a bit apprehensive. There are two definitive sides -- you either love it or hate it; is the hype worth it or just the work of an aggressive advertising team? For me, it was well-hyped and well worth reading. I am a person who likes to figure things out early, and when there was a subtle sentence in the first third of the book, I knew that I had found the zinger. That one thing that would put the end, whatever it may be, into perspective. Well, I was wrong, and the ending caught me by surprise. Well played, Mr. James.

Nothing like mass hysteria and a modern-day witch hunt to get the juices flowing. Witches are now a protected group in the United States; and when much loved high school football star Daniel Whitman falls from a balcony at a party house, which later catches fire, the town goes into hysterics after a video showing Harper, a non-magical and daughter of the local witch Sarah, placing what appears to be a curse on Daniel before he fell.

Told from many perspectives, the stories, and secrets of Sanctuary, Connecticut, come out. It appears that everyone has something to hide and, at one point or other, have used Sarah’s help when dealing with everything from the mundane to the extraordinary. And the biggest secret of all is what happened six years prior when Det. Maggie Knight met all the actors for the first time which set this tribunal in action.

A fascinating grab you from the beginning book. At first, I was concerned with all the characters thrown at me, but soon V. V. James slowed the pace a bit and let each tell their own story. There are a couple that remains in the periphery which only makes you wonder about them more. But don’t underestimate. Each one has their place by the time you reach the final chapter.

Sowing Malice

Title: Sowing Malice
Author: Wendy Tyson
Published: July 7, 2020 by Henery Press
Format: Paperback, 248 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: A Greenhouse Mystery #6

As a back story, Megan Sawyer is now running her family’s organic farm, Washington Acres, after walking away from her legal career following the death of her husband. With her grandmother Bibi and dependable employees, she has turned the farm, and the café in town, around. With the opening of Marshall house in sight, Megan will be able to see her dreams come to fruition. That is until a good deed results in a missing woman and a dead body found on her property.

The anti-social Von Tressler’s don’t belong in this part of the state, and no one is sure why they decided to build their home in Winsome, Pennsylvania. Now with the patriarch dead, and a curious amount of bed-hopping going on, Detective King, with the help of Megan, needs to figure out what is going on within the mahogany halls of the Von Tressler corporation and to understand why Megan was drawn into the middle of it.

For the longest time, I was confusing the father and the son, then the wives, then the partners. Not sure how it all clicked into place with the shenanigans going on, but Wendy Tyson did manage to tie it all up before the Fourth of July festivities and the grand opening of the Marshall house, without letting on to the final surprise she had in store for her reader.

Die Again

Title: Die Again
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Published: December 30th 2014 by Ballantine Books
Format: Hardcover, 330 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Rizzoli & Isles #11

Continuing my unhurried process through the Rizzoli and Isles series, for me, book eleven is slower than usual as I trudged through the ongoings of the detective and medical examiner. Beginning with the disembowelment of Leon Gott, a renowned taxidermist, and interweaving a tale of six years prior where a Botswana safari tour, that included Gott’s son, ended with only one female survivor. Boston PD must now find the evidence which links the two events and identifies a predator that is striking again.

Detective Jane Rizzoli and Medical Examiner Maura Isles of the books are not the same as those portrayed on television. Their backstories are slightly different, and though the camaraderie is the same, there truly is no comparison between the two. The reader will need to decide, like most adaptations, which they prefer.

As this series is coming to an end, with one final book,’ I Know a Secret”, I am curious to see how Tess Gerritsen will tie up this series and to see where it will conclude.

Ink and Shadows

Title: Ink and Shadows
Author: Ellery Adams
Published: January 26th 2021 by Kensington Books
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: Secret, Book, & Scone Society #4

By the end of the book, I was wondering if Ellery Adams was trying to reach a bit too far by tossing in triggers to grab attention and then trying to tie them all up with a neat bow to let the reader know that all is right and fair in Miracle Springs, North Carolina. Unfortunately, that bow didn’t sit well with me since it didn’t quite encompass the off behavior of the pastor’s wife, and I felt that part of the story just died with no conclusion.

Nora Pennington, the owner of Miracle Books, is contemplating a new window display when she decides to center on strong heroines. After a confrontation at the store, a local women’s group takes offense and starts a campaign to besmirch the shops in town that don’t live up to their definition of family values. With the crusade in full swing, new business owner Celeste is feeling the brunt since she is a bit too new-age for the pearl clenching crowd.

Nora is the overprotective type, and when pages of an old book appear on her doorstep, followed by a body behind her house, Nora can’t help but get involved. Unfortunately, this won’t be the only body found that will have the people of Miracle Springs talking. Both she and the local police need answers, yet Nora was unprepared when an old friend knocks on her door - a friend that knew her from before.

Ellery Adams does try to tie up all the loose ends – there are just too many. There is a great deal thrown at the reader in the last few pages, but if you have been following along, most of it rings true. There is an out of the blue confession that doesn’t make sense since nothing alluded to it during the previous three hundred pages, so I don’t know how that will sit with readers. Overall, the book is a well-intended continuation of the series -- I just would have preferred more cohesiveness.

Next to Last Stand

Title: Next to Last Stand
Author: Craig Johnson
Published: September 22nd 2020 by Viking
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Genre: Fiction
Series: Walt Longmire #16

Reading the reviews, I see that people disliked this book for the same reason that I enjoyed it. I appreciated the bit of history, the amalgamation of the past with the present, and how people, as odd as they are, have different reasons for accomplishing the same goal.

Things go from curious to downright dangerous when Walt Longmire receives a call after a resident of the local Veterans’ home died, and a shoebox containing $1 million found. The residents claim there had been clandestine meetings with Russians, but with this group of off-center cronies, Walt has no idea what to believe. Yet, with the discovery of a portion of an old painting and Walt doing his usual deep dive, the fragment is analyzed, and with it, a fascinating art history lesson imparted to the reader involving myth and the reshaping of the old west.

In places, the history lesson and the narrative seem to become a bit long-winded but hang in there, everything, including the long list of characters, will soon meld, and the full story revealed. For me, the only thing that was missing in this book was the usual wit. That is what I enjoy most from Craig Johnson, the deadpan deliveries and the over the top situations that can only be dealt with by a good dose of questionable humor; usually delivered by Victoria, on occasion by Walt, but always by Henry.

Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas

Title: Have Yourself a Fudgy Little Christmas
Author: Nancy Coco
Published: October 27th 2020 by Kensington Publishing
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Candy-Coated Mysteries #8

Once you get past a fluffy anthropomorphized dog and settle into the rhythm of island life, Nancy Coco tells the story of past mistakes, how times were different, and how women have choices now that weren’t available to the women of previous generations. Choices that would not come back to haunt and cause havoc and death.

While preparing for the annual decorating contest on Mackinac Island, Allie McMurphy and her smarter than an average human Bichonpoo stumbles on the body of a woman in the snow. Little did she know this would result in the arrest of one of her closest friends and a story that has laid hidden for 50 years.

With this eighth book in the series, Nancy Coco has created a pleasant ambiance with the place and people that the main characters call home. A home that has been in her family’s blood for decades with a quaint hotel and fudge shop that Allie will never leave, no matter how many bodies Allie and Mal stumble across. *

The Case of the Twisted Truths

Title: The Case of the Twisted Truths
Author: Lucy Banks
Published: October 6th 2020 by Amberjack Publishing
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Series: Dr Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural #4

I could not tell you what it is about this series, but I adore it. The characters are on the whiney annoying side, but there is something about Kester, the son of Ribero, that draws on the reader's heartstrings. Being bullied by everyone around him and not sure of the gifts from his mother, Kester is a weak-kneed fighter that you cannot help but cheer on.

With Dr. Ribero's Agency of the Supernatural down on its luck, which it has been for a while, the team must pull together when the powerful daemon Hrschnie and the Thelemites are determined to use Kester to open the spirit door. Kester has not quite mastered the skill that his mother had conveyed on him, so when he finds himself in the middle of a good versus evil tug of war, and the agency has teamed up with their arch enemy, Kester is in for a battle when it comes to the truth and how deep the lies go.

The ending leaves the future wide open, and though Kester is a ripe old twenty-three years of age, he is just coming into himself, and as he learns more about his mother, he and the reader question all that is around him.

Hot to Trot

Title: Hot to Trot
Author: M.C. Beaton and R.W. Green
Published: November 17, 2020 by Minotaur Books
Format: ebook, Hardcover, 256 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Agatha Raisin #31

With the passing of Marion Chesney, I looked at this book with a bit of apprehension. What will happen with this series, and will her co-author be able to keep the same Agatha feel, but more importantly, will there be more.

As Sir Charles Fraith enters a marriage of convenience, Agatha is unable to help her friend from making the worst decision of his life by marrying the awful Mary Brown-Field and entering a business deal with her insufferable parents. With no way to stop the marriage or save her friend, Agatha finds herself on the sidelines with regret and foreboding. After the final I do’s, Charles escorts Agatha from the masked ball reception when an anguished scream stops them. It appears that Agatha isn’t the only one that disliked the horrible woman.

With a deep dive into the competitive world of international horse shows and behind-the-scenes tomfoolery, Agatha quickly learns that she is in for more than she bargained for when she asks a few too many questions and is about to be thrashed by those who do not like her prying.

There are a few odd moments, and a bit of unnecessary travel, that doesn’t flow as well as it could have, but other than that I think that R. W. Green was able to hold onto the essence of Agatha. It is possible that Agatha may be changing a bit, but I do hope that she will remain her usual feisty self. I still can’t answer my final question as to there being more. The author did some character cleaning up but also left an opportunity for more. Hopefully, that means more for Agatha, more for James, and a world of opportunity for Sir Charles Fraith.

The Kensington Kidnap

Title: The Kensington Kidnap
Author: Katie Gayle
Published: December 2nd 2020 by Bookouture
Format: ebook, 238 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Series: Epiphany Bloom Mysteries #1

Refreshing when you discover a new series where you can’t decide which character you adore more. Usually, the reader is subjected to annoying personalities just so they can find one or two that they like, but not so with this first in a new series book.

Epiphany (Pip) Bloom tends to get into awkward situations, the kind that can happen to anyone if anyone would involve arms dealers and things going up in flames. Pip is once again down on her luck, and with her mother cutting her off from the finance train, Pip must scrounge for another job to pay for rent and cat food. When a temporary file clerk position opens at a local private investigation agency, Pip paints on her best smile and opens the door to this next in a long line of failed jobs. Instead of the job that she was expecting, she is mistaken for a missing persons expert.

Before she knows it, Pip has found herself a seat at the table, and with her expert knowledge of the celebrity gossip pages, she is the perfect, according to her, fit to find the missing son of an Angelina/Gwyneth actress currently preparing for a movie role in England. As Pip digs into the case and takes on her daft sister’s blog persona, she encounters oddball characters and possible love interests. A twisted tale of green activists, pro-plastic activists, a cult-ish retreat, a boxer, chemical engineer, and anything else offbeat and wacky that the writing team of Katie Gayle can think up.

It all sounds absurd, but it works. The authors have created endearing characters, and besides, who could not love a central character who has set her mother’s ring tone as the Flight of the Valkyries.

On Borrowed Crime

Title: On Borrowed Crime
Author: Kate Young
Published: October 6th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
Format: ebook, Hardcover, 311 pgs
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Jane Doe Book Club Mystery #1

Refreshing when the killer isn’t obvious from the beginning. When a character is introduced, a little bit from the past is shown, but you end up dismissing them only to realize how wrong you were. So very wrong.

Every small town, like Sweet Mountain, Georgia, needs its form of entertainment, so why not the Jane Doe’s, a book club that loves discussing sleuthing, true crime, and the newest crime novels. They just weren’t ready when a creepy who-done-it landed in their very own backyard. Or front porch in the case of Lyla Moody, when a suitcase containing the body of Carol, one of the Jane Does, is dumped.

Lyla’s day job is working for her uncle’s private investigative firm, a position perfect for this crime fixated woman and her friends. Her parents would prefer that she settle down with a nice husband and children, but Lyla has other plans. Plans that involve meddling, saving a friend, and proving the local constabulary wrong.

The first in the Jane Doe Book Club Mystery series by the same author that brings readers the Marygene Brown Mystery series, will have readers eagerly anticipating the next, in what I hope is many more to come.

Fishing for Trouble

Title: Fishing for Trouble
Author: Elizabeth Logan
Published: November 24th 2020 by Berkley Books
Format: eBook, Paperback, 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: Alaskan Diner Mystery #2

This book would have been better served by removing the unnecessary fluff and replacing it with an engaging secondary plot. The straight line from beginning to end was tedious, and with a large cast of characters, you would think Elizabeth Logan could have come up with something else, other than her parents, that was going on in the periphery.

Still trying to get her feet underneath her as the new owner of the Bear Claw Dinner in Elkview, Alaska, Charlie Cooke wasn’t expecting a customer to fall unconscious. Now with rumors circulating that it was her food that did the poor guy in, all Charlie can think of is her mom, the woman who had started the diner but is now enjoying some time away somewhere in San Diego. Without her there, it is up to Charlie to save the reputation of her restaurant by jumping in to answer the questions surrounding the young man’s death. With Trooper Cody Graham away most of the time at a seminar, of course, the local diner owner and newspaper columnist, Christ Doucette, must save the day but first, there is a cat to entertain and a diner that seems to run on its own with a handful of trusted employees.

The one redeeming quality of this book is the hidden talents of Chris. Out of nowhere, he suddenly has the skillset of both a spy and an assassin. Hopefully, Elizabeth Logan will shift her attention in this direction and leave Charlie to her online shopping, snack packs, and jerky making.

Aunty Lee's Delights

Title: Aunty Lee's Delights
Author: Ovidia Yu
Published: September 17th 2013 by William Morrow
Format: Paperback, 264 pages
Genre: Mystery
Series: Singaporean Mystery #1

Don’t mess with an Aunty, especially one that has lived a few years, has a curious mind, and an innate intuition.

Not much gets past Aunty Lee, an owner of a small café in Singapore. She always has her finger in the goings-on, and when a body washes up on Sentosa Beach, she sets her snooping in action. As she prepares for a wine and dine evening for her son’s newest adventure, her mind is whirring. This is when the book becomes an Agatha Christie novel. What does this odd grouping of people have in common? Why here, why this night, and who is the mastermind that created the outcome that would soon have Aunty Lee putting the pieces together while the local police struggle to keep up.

I’m not sure that this is a series that I will continue. The whole feel of the book was choppy and occasionally far-flung. Yes, there were a few characters that I would like to see again, but not enough that I would want to struggle through the uneven passages that made up much of the book.

For Whom the Book Tolls

Title: For Whom the Book Tolls
Author: Laura Gail Black
Published: August 11th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover, 264 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: An Antique Bookshop Mystery #1

Jenna Quinn is desperate for a new start. After having been accused of a couple of crimes, and then acquitted, Jenna needs a do-over. She hasn’t seen her Uncle Paul since her teen years, but he has always kept a scrapbook of her goings-on. He has now reached out to her and offered her a landing spot at his bookshop in Hokes Folly. The morning after her arrival, she finds Paul Baxter’s body at the bottom of the stairs. She couldn’t speak to him the prior evening due to her late arrival, but now finds herself accused of murdering the man that she was just about to reacquaint with; a man that had offered her a lifeline and a second chance.

With one officer assuming that she is a murderer, a second that wants to follow the clues, a neighbor that has befriended her, and a pair of Hoke spinsters that are decedents of the man that built the town tag-teaming her, Jenna must solve a murder, clear her name, and decided if this town is where she wants to stay or if a man, who has suddenly appeared and wanted Jenna’s inheritance, is her uncle’s long lost son and is the rightful owner of the bookshop and a mystery find that her uncle kept hidden, or if he too, has ulterior motives. I know, a long-winded sentence, but that is what is facing Jenna with no time to spare or to even breath.

A great start to a series that will have readers coming back for more. With a steady pace that doesn’t let out too much too soon or lagging parts where you wish the author would get on with it already, For Whom the Book Tolls adds the right splash to a cozy mystery market that needs new blood and an author that can keep the attention of her audience.

20th Victim

Title: 20th Victim
Author: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Published: March 5th 2020 by Century
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Women's Murder Club #20

The Women’s Murder Club brings a bonded group of women together where each has a story to tell, but what this writing team put Claire through was unnecessary. Still not sure why, unless they are basing her off someone that has gone through the same experience, but there was something superficial about the whole thing.

As perfect kill shots are taking down drug deals across the country, Lindsay and her SFPD team are trying to link the murders and how they relate to an online game. And that is where the problem lies - the general public does not think that this is a problem. Yet murder is still murder, and the police department is responsible for tracking down the killer(s), all the while Cindy, and her police band radio, is chasing the story while fending off a news reporter that is determined to take her down. Yuki has a periphery role in this book, involving the prosecution of a desperate boy who has managed to get himself entangled with a drug dealer, but her heart is not in it. She needs to come up with a way to let him walk away.

Then the authors need to find a place for Joe Molinari. He is no longer part of the FBI, and cannot help Lindsay, so what is second best? That would be a call from a friend in Napa who suspects his father's death was at the hands of a doctor and is asking Joe for help to prove it. There are numerous webs woven to distract the reader away from Claire, and lets Lindsay deal with her shooters while giving Joe a role to play.

As with all Patterson books, there are continuity issues and lightweight storylines that are all tied up with a neat bow allowing the reader to walk away with a just dessert feel. The 20th Victim is a beach read that is easy to pick up and put down without feeling that you need to reread a chapter or two to get back into the feel. No heavy lifting is required, and since Patterson and Paetro rehash who everyone is, there is no need to start at the beginning of this series.

Little Bookshop of Murder

Title: Little Bookshop of Murder

Author: Maggie Blackburn (aka Mollie Cox Bryan)
Published: September 8th 2020 by Crooked Lane Books
Format: eBook, Hardcover 329 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Beach Reads Mystery #1

Repetitious, inconsistent, no diversion or secondary plotline, and most frustrating of all, it was easily solved halfway through the book. So why did I finish the book? I am asking myself the same question, and I think it boils down to hope. I kept hoping that I was wrong. I kept hoping that there was something that I missed and would zing me at the end. That didn’t happen, and all that was left was a book that needed more time with an editor and a few wasted hours.

Summer Merriweather mentions that she is a Shakespearean scholar about a gazillion times, which becomes tedious and does not help and only tends to annoy the reader and the people around her. She then must dwell on the goings-on at her Virginia University, where she is on sabbatical due to her fear of spiders (of all things) and her University’s odd response. Hiding out in England under the auspice of research, she receives a call that her mother, Hildy, otherwise healthy, had died of a sudden heart attack. Returning home to Brigid’s Island, NC, apparently instantaneously, for the funeral, Summer begins to question the death when threats appear. Threats that Hildy had been dealing with regarding the selling her beloved bookstore, Beach Reads.

Trying to fulfilling the standards when it comes to cozy mysteries, Maggie Blackburn checks all the boxes. Small town, returning home, pet, friends, past boyfriend, etc. If only there had been something new or a few clues had been hidden. This series will be a pass for me.

Funeral For A Friend

Title: Funeral For A Friend
Author: Brian Freeman
Published: September 22nd 2020 by Blackstone Publishing
Format: Hardcover, 300 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Jonathan Stride #10

The first two-thirds of this book was slow and plodding. No highs or lows, just a straight line with a couple of references that you were not sure were clues or relevant information. About halfway through, I was ready to give up, but Brian Freeman had never (well, maybe Cab Bolton) disappointed me, so continue I did. At the three-quarter mark, this is where the book went from drab to fantastic. The pace picked up, the characters came together, and the usual Freeman suspense was back.

With best friend Steve Garske on his death bed, there is a confession of a buried body in the garden. Ned Bauer disappeared seven years ago after coming to town to investigate a thirty-year-old rape - an allegation that can be the end of a local Politician. But Stride being Stride, can’t let things lie, even if it means his career will be over and his ex-wife’s secrets will become public.

Now add in the next adventure of Cat Mateo, the teenager that Stride and Serena took in. Her life has become too public after an assault, but that is not going to hold her down. Unfortunately, all that unwanted attention has brought a stalker into her life. When things begin to get downright scary, Stride asks around the department if anyone wants extra work as a bodyguard. Braydon is the first to volunteer, and this is how the two storylines mesh and though a bit farfetched and too convenient, Brian Freeman takes the reader on a thrilling ride to the end.

I was concerned this was the end of Jonathan Stride since Brian Freeman mentioned previous cases and prior heartaches, but I hope there is more. The combination of Stride, Serena, Maggie, and Cat bring this series life. All four parts need to be there, as broken and damaged as they are, to make each other whole.

Track of the Cat

Title: Track of the Cat
Author: Nevada Barr
Published: 1993, G. P. Putnam's Sons
Format: Paperback, 218 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Anna Pigeon #1

I’m not sure what scared me more, the idea of a big cat attack or the West Texas National Park backcountry itself. Anna Pidgeon, in her new job as a law enforcement ranger in the Guadalupe Mountains, after leaving New York in the wake of her husband’s death, has the reader a bit squeamish with the open spaces and wildlife.

Now with the death of Sheila Drury, a fellow ranger, Anna begins to question both what she sees and the stories told. The markings look like a big cat could have done it, but when and where it happened does not add up.

As deaths pile up, and an attempt on Anna’s life, she knows that she is on to something, and with the phone calls to her sister (a therapist), a new friend, and superiors who are telling her to stop digging, Anna can’t help herself. There is more there, and just when she knows where all the pieces belong, she treks out to the great beyond with one final hope of saving those set up as the prize.

Anna Pidgeon is a strong character with both the conviction and determination to right wrongs. To not fear questioning herself when she knows that she might be too close or when a bigger picture must be looked at from the right angle even if it is necessary to call her sister for clarity.

A Death in the Small Hours

Playing Nice

Title: Playing Nice
Author: J.P. Delaney
Published: July 28th 2020 by Ballantine Books
Format: Hardcover, 402 pages
Genre: Psychological Thriller

After an achingly slow start, Playing Nice didn’t get interesting until the midway point and will have left most readers wondering what had happened since JP Delaney’s previous books (Believe Me, The Girl Before, and The Perfect Wife) were “unputdownable” from the beginning.

Eternally nice guy Pete Riley and workaholic Maddie Wilson are doing their best to raise their son Theo, who was born premature and who is now displaying challenging tendencies. Tendencies that were problematic enough to have him, as a two-year-old, thrown out of preschool. That’s ok since Pete will sort it all out and get them on the right footing once he figures out why the people that were watching him from across the road at his son’s school are now on his doorstep with a fantastical tale of child swapping and lawsuits.

Pete and Maddie attempt an amicable solution with Miles Lambert – this is where the book unravels for me. Who would take a stranger’s word without researching on their own? Yet, I blindly follow along in hopes that Pete and Maggie will wake up and take the lead when a stranger is trying to lay claim to their child. But at the same time, wondering why they would show so little interest in another child that could be theirs. But struggle on I do, as I am talking to the book that I am reading.

J P Delaney has the reader bouncing all over the place as he throws each possible scenario against the wall in hopes that the reader will willingly go along as each possibility gets darker and dirtier until Pete and Maggie have no other option.

Anxious People

Title: Anxious People
Author: Fredrik Backman
Published: September 8th 2020 by Atria Books
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Genre: Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

I am so glad the author referenced the Sixth Sense since I feel that I need to reread the book to see what I missed. I know there are lines or reference I missed since each revelation caught me off guard. Told in a somewhat spiral way, each layer, which was slow peeled back, shows how our stories can be interrelated. And I dare anyone to not be in tears by the end.

Fredrik Backman plays on our preconceptions when through a fumbling bank robbery, eight people become friends. The reader becomes embroiled in their lives to the point that when it comes to the actual robber, the point is moot. Stories and facts become enmeshed with all the other interwoven aspects. Accounts that don’t fully come to light until the last layer is laid bare and all the players are revealed.

From an annoying realtor, to a couple looking for their next renovation project instead of having to speak to each other, to a young couple with a child on the way, to the woman obsessed with the view to a storied bridge, to a woman who desperately misses her late husband they have bonded and shared their stories full of hope and heartbreak.

Yet this is not a sad story, like all of Backman’s books, this is a look into human nature. A dark look at hope and understanding and the possibility that things can get better. How shared events, and words of wisdom, can bring together people facing the most anxious moments of their lives.

One for the Books

Title: One for the Books
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Published: September 1st 2020 by Berkley
Format: eBook, Hardcover 320 Pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Library Lover's Mystery #11

To say that I was disappointed in this book is an understatement.

As the build-up to Briar Creek’s wedding of the year, librarian Lindsey Norris and boat captain Sully Sullivan are in a mad dash to fix broken arrangements, resulting from a mix up with the guest list. All the while still working their day jobs and attending a holiday party. Good thing they have friends to step in to take over while Lindsey and Sully are trying to find a replacement officiant since Sully’s long-time friend, who was to perform the ceremony, has been found dead and no one else in town is available.

Other than the possible suspects in the murder are friends of the bride and groom; I am still not sure why they had to go out of their way to solve the murder, complete with a James Bond type of boat chase before they could be married. Yet that is just one of the many things which seemed out of place with this book.

The last few books of this series have been off for me, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I have invested in the series from the beginning, and I hold out hope for them to get better, I don’t know why I continue to read them.

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.

Love in the Afternoon

Title: Love in the Afternoon
Author: Karen Hawkins
Published: June 17th 2019 by Gallery Books
Format: Kindle, 126 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance Novella
Series: Dove Pond #0.5

Be prepared for a hard cry. I never saw it coming, just when I thought that this would be a pleasant romantic novella as a placeholder before the next full book in the Dove Pond Series.

IT game designer and recluse, Jake Klaine, felt no need to leave his home for any more than groceries since his fiancé left him. He is perfectly fine on his own in a house that is being slowly choked of light by the roses that Heather had planted. He does not need anything; Jake is perfectly content with his work and the occasional visit from the ghosts that stop by. It’s when they stay, floating in his bathtub wearing nothing more than a blonde wig and a strategically placed washcloth, and giving unwanted advice that Jake gets bothered. Doyle can be annoying, but it’s the annoyance that Jake needs.

Recent widow and mother to Noah, Sofia Rodriquez moved in next door and is the new greenhouse manager for Ava Dove. On the spectrum, Noah’s days can be challenging, but they have set into a good rhythm. That is until a challenge from bullies on the bus puts Noah on Jake’s front porch and, as they say, the rest is history.

This beautiful novella opens the closed worlds of three people that desperately need hope, magic, and possibilities. People need to know good is out there and that with patience and understanding, they will be what each need at a time when they had nothing.

The Deep Deep Snow

Title: The Deep Deep Snow
Author: Brian Freeman
Published: January 14, 2020, Blackstone Publishing
Format: Kindle Edition, 307 pages
Genre: Police Procedural

This book has been sitting in my pile for a while, and I’m not sure why I kept putting it off since I have always loved Brian Freeman --but for some reason, it wasn’t calling to me. That was a big mistake. When I finally picked it up to get a little idea of what was to come, I found that I could not put it down. The author has a way of letting you think that you have it figured out, then there is a twist, not a totally out of the blue twist, just a nudge into a new direction and a new mindset, and you set off with a whole new set of what-ifs.

Shelby Lake is a firm believer in premonition, abandoned as an infant on the doorstep of the local sheriff, where she would have frozen to death if it wasn’t for the snowy owl that had landed on the boat and ruined his fishing plans and forcing him to returned home. Her arrival in Nowhere, Minnesota, is a bit of a mystery, but one that she doesn’t dwell on. She has enough going on with her father’s slow descent into Alzheimer’s and the sudden disappearance of young Jeremiah Sloan.

Told in a then and now format, this is a story of secrets. It appears that everyone has one, and now it is up to Shelby to unravel a disappearance by putting all the pieces together, while gently prodding her father and helping him to ease into a life full of unknowns. Aware of forewarnings, and as the pieces fall together, Shelby faces the daunting task of bringing everyone’s truths to light, which will leave the reader a little shattered and a family made whole again.

From what I can tell, this book is a stand-alone, but several jumping-off points could be the beginning of a new series for Mr. Freeman. Shelby Lake is a fascinating character that is deeply flawed and tends to put others first --even if they don’t necessarily want it, or ask. She is a watcher of signs and will take care of those that she loves, though one day, they won’t remember her.

A Killer Ending

Title: A Killer Ending
Author: Karen MacInerney
Published: June 30th 2020 by Gray Whale Press
Format: eBook, 210 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Snug Harbor Mysteries #1

With the most recent book in the Gray While Inn Series, Anchored Inn, Karen MacInerney introduced her readers to a new character, Max Sayers, and her dream of a fresh start in opening a bookstore in her beloved Snug Harbor, Maine. With this branching off, the author introduces the reader to a new tourist community full of old friends where Max had spent many summers as a child and holds memories of a kinder and gentler life.

Being a cozy mystery, you know certain things are going to take place, Karen MacInerney brings them all to Seaside Cottage Books. Beginning with the body found with a doorstop in his head, an ex-husband and his new love interest, neighborhood gossips, hostility from the sister of the previous owner, and deeply buried secrets and maneuverings to take Max’s dream away.

There are a few continuity issues, but since Karen MacInerney has taken the self-publishing route, that is to be expected. Overall, Killer Ending is a vacation book that introduces the reader to new characters and a place that will eventually grow on her long-time followers. Especially those that love when book titles and authors seamlessly weave through the narrative and mesh as well as a nice cup of tea and a freshly baked cookie.

Killer Kung Pao

Title: Killer Kung Pao
Author: Vivien Chien
Published: August 25th 2020 by St. Martin's Paperbacks
Format: eBook, Paperback 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: A Noodle Shop Mystery #6

I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight, between the Mahjong Matrons, the owners of Yi’s Tea and Bakery (and which sister was older), the society ladies, and the myriad of women at the hair salon, I found myself going back chapters at a time trying to remember names and relationships.

By now, you would have thought that Lana Lee, manager of her family's Chinese Restaurant in Asia Village, would be tired of putting her life at risk, but death does seem to find her. Tensions are already high when there is a slight fender bender in the parking lot outside the shopping area. No one could foresee the accident leading to Millie’s electrocution death at the salon a couple of days later. Now everyone suspects June Yi, but Lana is not so sure. Taking her boyfriend Detective Adam Trudeau's advice and knowing that she should let the police do their job is not Lana’s style. With her notebook in hand, Lana sets out to discover what people know and why they are so reluctant with the truth.

I enjoy this series. Vivien Chien twists her narrative with just the right amount of layering and adds humor where it is needed. She does not over-explain, and knowing when the reader needs a break from the goings-on, throws in the delicious tastes and aroma of Lana’s much-loved donuts and delicacies coming out of the noodle house.

Find Me

Title: Find Me
Author: Anne Frasier
Published: July 1st 2020 by Thomas & Mercer
Format: Kindle Edition, 286 pages
Genre: Police Procedural
Series: Inland Empire #1

After a slow start, and more than a few similarities to Joanna Schaffhausen’s Ellery Hathaway series, Anne Frasier finally takes the reader down the road to a confrontation with the one character that should not have been a surprise.

FBI Profiler Reni Fisher thought she had put the past behind her. Her father, the Inland Empire Killer, Benjamin Fisher, is behind bars, and she has moved on. What she did not expect was the flashback that almost put her partner in the grave and started her life on a spiral thirty years after her father's incarceration. Now Ben Fisher wants to show the investigators where the bodies are hidden. With the original investigator retired, Daniel Ellis has taken over the case. The only fly in the pudding, before Fisher will divulge his hiding spots, Reni must agree to be part of the unit, setting in motion a nightmare that will not end until each character is laid bare.

Though laying the deliberate groundwork, Anne Frasier dawdles through most of the first half of the book. There could have been more spice and subterfuge, yet we plod our way through until that one moment where everything changes, and the reader cannot race to the end quickly enough.