Today I’m going to give you two teasers….If you know me, you know I love Cozy mysteries.  They are light and usually a quick read for me.  One of my favorite authors is Elaine Viets who writes two different series.  The one I’m teasing you with today is from the Josie Marcus, Mystery Shopper series.  The latest book is Death on a Platter.

This is from page 131:

She was almost inside her flat when one of the names hit her: Our Lady of the Sheets?  What kind of religious order was that? Was it a charity?  An order of sisters?

The second teaser is from a new series, the Cookie Cutter Shop Mysteries, by Virginia Lowell.  The second book in the series is A Cookie Before Dying.

This is from page 99:

While Spunky paced between the door and the window, Olivia closed her eyes.  She had done her duty, which ought to help her relax and fall asleep.  She envisioned wading into a chocolate lake dotted with pink and yellow sugar sprinkles.

These are the books I received in the mail this past week….lots of good ones on my TBR shelf!

Death by the Dozen by Jenn McKinlay  3rd in the Cupcake Bakery series

Melanie and Angie are determined to win the Challenge to the Chef to promote their Fairy Tale Cupcakes bakery. Mel’s mentor from culinary school, Vic Mazzotta, may be one of the judges, but Mel and Angie will have to win fair and square. But, when Vic’s dead body is found inside a freezer truck, Mel and Angie will need to use their best judgment to find the cold-blooded killer or they may lose more than the contest — they may lose their lives.

Death on a Platter by Elaine Viets – 7th in her Mystery Shopper series

Josie Marcus plans to savor sampling the local St. Louis cuisine for a City Eats food tour. But her appetite is ruined at Tillie’s Off the Hill Italian Restaurant when another customer is poisoned. Was the victim the real target-or is someone trying to ruin Tillie’s reputation? It’s up to Josie to find a killer who has no reservations about preparing a dish to die for…

Liver Let Die by Liz Lipperman – 1st in the new Clueless Cooks series

Jordan McAllister can’t cook her way out of a macaroni & cheese box, but filling in for the culinary reporter at The Ranchero Globe is better than writing personal ads. Her first assignment to review the new steakhouse in town is a disaster that ends with her waiter murdered outside her door — with her name and number in his pocket. Now Jordan is the prime suspect, as well as the main course on the murder menu

Last week I received a few books to add to my TBR (to be read) mountain!  I am a sucker for new cozies and these are two that arrived this past week:

Killer Mousse by Melinda Wells (aka Linda Palmer)

Quickstep to Murder by Ella Barrick

Cooking and ballroom dancing…what better settings for some new reads?!

One of my favorite cozy series is Pet Sitters series by Linda O. Johnston.  Probably because I love dogs (have 2 myself) and I like reading where pets are always involved in the storyline.  Well Linda created a new series based off a character that made an appearance in Howl Deadly, Lauren.  Lauren runs a no-kill shelter…something I wish all shelters were but realize that it can’t always be that way.  This series is called the Pet Rescue series.

Anyway, if you visit Dollycas Thoughts you will have a chance to win 1 of 2 copies of The More the Terrier which is the 2nd book in this new series.  I’m entering…..and hope I win this new book!

Today I’m reading Mind over Murderby Allison Kinglsey which is the pseudonym for Kate Kingsbury or Doreen Roberts Hight.  She even writes under the name Rebecca Kent.  Whew, talk about your multiple personalities!

Cousins and best friends, Clara and Stephanie Quinn run The Raven’s Nest Bookstore, where people go to find their most coveted reads. But they have no idea it’s the psychically-gifted Clara who’s reading them…

The bookstore has made an enemy of the town crier, Ana Jordon, who claims that the store’s occult collection is “poisoning” the town’s youth. Meanwhile, the store’s number-one employee, Molly, has made no secret of her anger over Ana’s antics. So when Ana is found dead, killed by the bust of Edgar Allen Poe sculpted by Molly, the evidence is stacked against her. And Clara must rely on her gift to make sense of this senseless murder…

So the teaser comes from page 161

Her first thought was that she was about to die. Hot on the heels of that thought came the determined vow to live, no matter what it took.

ooooh, I’m not this far yet but boy that has me intrigued about the book!  I am about half way through and it is pretty good and while there is the “Quinn Sense” it isn’t an overt psychic ability and Clara has shut out the voices for awhile so it is taking her awhile to get used to them again.

Can’t wait to see how this turns out!

Ok, so this book I didn’t get in my mailbox but it was delivered to my house via my book club group.  We will bring books to swap that we can’t trade on the various book swap sites.

Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

From the back of the book:

Lucy hails from a long line of matchmakers known as Valentine, Inc.  According to family legend, the Valentines have been blessed by Cupid with the psychic ability to help couples find true love.  Trouble is, Lucy’s powers were zapped away by an electrical surge and now all she can do is find lost objects.  What good is that in the matchmaking world?  You’d be surprised. In a big city like Boston, love is a mystery – and Lucy’s upstairs neighbor, Sean Donahue, is a hot private eye whose job is murder.  With a little luck, she can help solve the perfect crime and find her own perfect match – with Sean.

I am also expecting this one sometime this week – Books can be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay.  This is a new series called the Library Lover’s Mysteries and if you go to Jenn’s website you can read the first chapter.  Jenn also writes a series called the Cupcake Mysteries and those are good too so check out Sprinkle with Murder and Buttercream Bump Off

I got this from Carrie at In the Hammock who got it from Miz B at Should be Reading

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers

The book I’m reading is one that I mentioned last week (but just not getting around to starting) Pleating for Mercy by Melissa Bourbon.  So far the book is a good one!

pg 112

“Whoa.  I’m not a plumber, I’m a – “
The pipes moaned again, louder this time.

There are various blogs I like to read and get suggestions of books to read…sometimes this is a good thing and sometimes this is a bad thing.  Actually the only reason why it is bad is because my TBR list grows by leaps and bounds and from when I used to have maybe 25 books I now have around 400 books plus about 200 e-books on my Kindle and about 400 e-books on my Sony E-Reader.  I’m not sure when I will get through all of these!  But I am finding new authors and genres that grab my attention.

While visiting one of the said blogs I saw this question and it made me think about what my answer would be and I’m not sure that I have a single answer! 

The Question: Do you have a Book Soul-Mate? Who is it and why? 

Recently in my mailbox, this book showed up: Pleating for Mercy by Melissa Bourbon (aka Misa Ramirez) which is the first in the Magical Dressmaking Mystery series.  I haven’t cracked the spine yet but here is a synopsis of the book for you.  Maybe it will whet your appetite and you will want to get your own copy!

When her great-grandmother passes away, Harlow Jane Cassidy leaves her job as a Manhattan fashion designer and moves back to Bliss, Texas. But soon after she opens Buttons & Bows, a custom dressmaking boutique in the turn-of-the-century farmhouse she inherited, Harlow begins to feel an inexplicable presence…

One of her first clients is her old friend Josie, who needs a gown for her upcoming wedding. But when Josie’s boss turns up dead, it starts to look as if the bride-to-be may be wearing handcuffs instead of a veil. Suddenly Josie needs a lot more from Harlow than hemming a dress. Can Harlow find the real killer—with a little help from beyond?

Once I finish Lost and Fondue I will be starting on Murder by Mocha by Cleo Coyle.  Murder by Mocha is the 10th in the Coffee House series.

From the dust jacket:

Clare Cosi, manager and head barista of the landmark Village Blend coffeehouse, can brew a beverage to die for.  But can she stir up some evidence against a bitter killer who has gone loco for mocha?

Clare’s Village Blend beans are being used to creatte a new java love potion: a “Mocha Magic Coffee” billed as an aphrodisiac.  Clare may even try some on her boyfriend, NYPD detective Mike Quinn – when he’s off duty, of course….

The product, expected to rake in millions, will be sold exclusively on Aphrodite’s Village, one of the Web’s most popular online communities for women.  But the launch party ends on a sour note when one of the Web site’s editors if found dead.

When more of the Web site’s Sisters of Aphrodite start to die, Clare is convinced someone wants the coffee’s secret formula – and is willing to kill to get it.  Clare isn’t about to spill the benas, but will she be next on the hit list?