Posted in California, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on April 30, 2012

This week’s feature is an older book…circa 1997.  Ok, so older but not that old!  And doing research on the author realized she died in 2006.  Guess that means no more books in this series, but there are 6 to enjoy.

Anywho…the book is Delilah Doolittle and the Purloined Pooch and the author is Patricia Guiver.

Synopsis:
 
Sunny Southern California seems an unlikely place for a British widow to call home. But pet detective Delilah Doolittle is probably the least eccentric–if not the most civilized–of Surf City’s resident population. With the astute Doberman pinscher Watson sniffing out clues, Delilah follows the trails of missing animals, which often lead to the worst of human nature. The first thrilling pet detective mystery has Delilah Doolittle searching for a champion German shepherd. But when she finds a murdered man instead, it’s up to Delilah to collar a killer!
 
Review:
 
I love dogs, so any book with a dog in it is usually a winner with me.  The book started off a bit slow for me but once I got into the story I really enjoyed the story.  I didn’t figure out the killer and was suprised when this person was revealed.  Definitely not who I was expecting!  I’m not sure if I will continue with this series since there are so many books to read, but it is worth a read.

 

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday – May 7th
Posted in mystery, romance, women on April 27, 2012

 Synopsis:

All Angela wants is to understand why her father, security specialist Mac McKenzie, dropped dead on a sidewalk in Boston. Instead, she is thrust into the midst of an international conspiracy when she discovers that her father was working on a classified project at the time of his death. Now, the FBI, a terrorist and a killer have her in their sights.

Former Navy SEAL turned undercover operative, Chase Romero thinks his boss is overreacting when he orders Chase to small town America to protect Angela. But he changes his mind when her home is burglarized and “accidents” begin to happen. The real question becomes, how can he keep her safe if he keeps tripping over his own heart?

After shooting an intruder, Angela flees the scene, and the FBI issues a warrant for her arrest. On the run for her life and her freedom, she places her trust in Chase. As they travel from New England, to the nation’s capital, to the shores of Lake Michigan, the trail – and their attraction – grow hotter. Together, they team up to prevent a global financial market meltdown and face a killer who will stop at nothing to get his hands on the project Mac protected with his life.

Review:

This is the kind of book that I like to read….intrigue, mystery and a little romance all thrown together to create a storyline that traps the reader into a situation that could happen and left wondering what is going to happen next.  There were times that I wanted to smack Angela because she kept putting herself in harms way even when told not to do that…..but then if she didn’t put herself in harms way then Chase couldn’t rescue her.  I guess if there weren’t some annoying characteristics the book would be like any other and perhaps not as interesting.

I definitely recommend checking out this book for a little romance and a little suspense.

You can buy the book here or if you are an Amazon Prime member, you can read it for free (or could when I last checked).

Posted in contest, Giveaway, Kate White, mystery, New York on April 18, 2012

After a few stand alone books (Hush and The Sixes), Kate White brings to us another installment in the Bailey Weggins series.

Synopsis:

Bailey Weggins, the thirty-something, true crime journalist for Buzz, a leading celebrity magazine, needs a break. Plenty busy with her day job, her freelance work, and trying to get her first book noticed, she barely has time for her recently exclusive boyfriend, Beau Regan, much less herself. When Beau goes out of town, Bailey accepts an invitation with her friend Jesse to a music mogul’s weekend house in upstate New York.

But, the relaxing weekend getaway turns out to be more like an Agatha Christie whodunit. A weird tension has infected all the guests—a glamorous crowd of journalists and models, including the famous, and famously thin, supermodel Devon Barr. An impending snowstorm only adds to the tension. When Devon’s cold, lifeless body is found in her bed, Bailey immediately suspects foul play: she can’t shake the memory of a fearful and angry Devon shivering in the woods outside the house, whispering , “I have to get out here . . . It’s not safe for me.”

When evidence goes missing from the crime scene, Bailey once again finds herself a moving target—running closer to the truth and farther from safety.

 

Review:

While I have read several of the other books by Kate White, this is the first of the Bailey Weggins series that I have read.  I normally like to read books in order so jumping in at #6 is a little out of my comfort zone since I didn’t have any history with this character.  Not to worry, there is enough background in the book that you don’t feel like you have just jumped into the middle of the series.  Granted I would have liked more history, but that is a personal preference.  The characters are interesting and complex and round out the storyline very well.  I never suspected who was involved and I like that because it means there are enough red herrings to throw you off into another direction for awhile.

All in all I enjoyed the book and will probably be going back and starting with book 1 to really catch up on Bailey and see how she came to be in this series.

 

The Giveaway:

Fill out the form below for a chance to win the book that they sent me to read and review.  Must be a resident of the US and the contest will end on May 6th.  So sign up for a chance at this book!

 | 
Comments Off on Review & Giveaway – So Pretty it Hurts by Kate White
Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery on April 16, 2012

Today’s Mystery Monday book is another cozy…what can I say, I love cozy books!

Clobbered in Camembert is the 3rd in the Cheese Shop Mysteries by Avery Aames.

 

Synopsis:

When Kaitlyn is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte’s assistant Rebecca, suspicion falls on Rebecca’s boyfriend, a honeybee farmer himself. Charlotte knows this beekeeper wouldn’t hurt a fly, so she decides to find the real killer. While the town buzzes with gossip, can Charlotte catch the culprit without getting stung herself?

My thoughts:

The book was just as good as the first two….other than Rebecca really getting on my last nerve, and she is just a character in the book!  I don’t know if some slack should be given to her because she is formerly Amish but she was a little overboard in trying to clear her “honey”.  Once again I didn’t guess who the guilty party was until he/she was revealed.  That’s the sign of a good book to me!

 

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday – April 16th
Posted in teaser, Tuesday on April 10, 2012

Today’s book comes to us from Janet Evanovich and Dorian Kelly and is titled Love in a Nutshell.  The website touts it as a romantic suspense…well, ok there is some suspense but not that much IMHO!

Synopsis:

Kate Appleton needs a job. Her husband has left her, she’s been fired from her position as a magazine editor, and the only place she wants to go is to her parents’ summer house, The Nutshell, in Keene’s Harbor, Michigan. Kate’s plan is to turn The Nutshell into a Bed and Breakfast. Problem is, she needs cash, and the only job she can land is less than savory.

Matt Culhane wants Kate to spy on his brewery employees. Someone has been sabotaging his company, and Kate is just new enough in town that she can insert herself into Culhane’s business and snoop around for him. If Kate finds the culprit, Matt will pay her a $20,000 bonus. Needless to say, Kate is highly motivated. But several problems present themselves. Kate despises beer. No one seems to trust her. And she is falling hard for her boss.

Can these two smoke out a saboteur, save Kate’s family home, and keep a killer from closing in…all while resisting their undeniable attraction to one another? Filled with humor, heart, and loveable characters, Love in a Nutshell is delicious fun.

Teaser:

This week’s teaser comes from page 68 and just highlights the humor that these authors always manage to include in the books:

“Let me get this straight,” Matt said.  “I hired someone who hates beer to work in a microbrewery?”

“It looks that way.”

“I think I need a more detailed application form.”

 | 
Comments Off on Teaser Tuesday – April 10th
Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery, Texas on April 9, 2012

This week it is a new series with a male lead (fairly unusual) and set in the Dallas area (love books set in Texas!).  This series is the Stay at Home Dad series by Jeffrey Allen who is also known as Jeff Shelby, mystery writer.  The first book is called Stay at Home Dead.

Synopsis:

When stay at home dad Deuce Winters finds the dead body of his old high school rival in the back of his mini-van, it quickly throws his quiet life into disarray.  As the number one suspect in the court of public opinion in his small hometown in Texas, Deuce is determined to clear his name, with a little help from his wife, Julianne, a high-powered attorney. His search for the killer leads him to a business plan gone awry, a gaggle of jilted lovers, a group of merciless PTA moms and a diminutive detective with quite the attitude.

My Review:

I can’t remember if I have ever read a cozy series that featured a male lead that did the sleuthing.  Sure there have been supporting men, but not one that is involved this much.  I have to say I really liked the set up of this story…stay at home dad who is ridiculed by the people in his small home town for staying at home (I personally think it is a cool thing for him to do), a kick butt wife and a precocious daughter.   Of course Deuce’s life is also not without the women hitting on him despite no encouragement from him.  So if you are looking for a slight change from your usual cozy, check out this series.  I don’t think you will be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for book 2 which is called Popped Off and due out on September 1, 2012.

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday – April 9th
Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery on April 2, 2012

This week’s edition of Mystery Monday brings the second book in the Library Lover’s Mystery series, Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay.  And according to her website this hit #24 on the NYT bestseller’s list for March 25th.  WOW!

 

 

Synopsis:

What is the original meaning of the word clue?* — Answering tricky reference questions like this one is more than enough excitement for library director Lindsey Norris. Until another murder is committed in her cozy hometown of Briar Creek, Connecticut, and the question of who did it must be answered before someone else is checked out — for good.

Carrie Rushton, the president of the Friends of the Library, has been accused of murdering her husband. The evidence is stacking up against Carrie, but neither Lindsey nor the Briar Creek crafternoon club is buying it.

When a nor’easter buries the small coastal town, the police are too busy digging out the locals to investigate the murder.  With the help of her crafternoon friends and an abandoned puppy they name Heathcliff, Lindsey has to solve the question of who murdered Mr. Rushton before the killer closed the book on Carrie….

My thoughts:

Some of my fondest memories are in libraries so any time a book is set in a library or has a librarian I’m all for reading the book.  This book is a great continuation of the series and the book has me guessing who the killer might be amongst all the characters.  I will say that I never guessed who it was and love that the author has added a dog into the mix…yes books and dogs are two of my favorite things!  All of the characters feel like friends (well most of them anyway) and that this cozy little town in Conneticut might be a nice place to visit…if it were real!

If you like cozies then you definitely want to check out this series by Jenn McKinlay.  So far her series have not steered me wrong!  And if you like cupcakes, then check out here Cupcake Mysteries too.

 | 
Comments Off on Mystery Monday – April 2nd