Hit and Mist: A Silicon Valley Mystery
Cozy Mystery
4th In Series
Publisher: BGM Press
Paperback: 213 pages

Synopsis

 

He’s determined to prove his friend innocent of homicide. He may make things worse….

When Marty’s surfer-dude pal is arrested for murder, he must squeeze his amateur sleuthing into his packed schedule. With his high-tech job busier than ever and his nieces’ antics sidetracking him, Marty’s ready for a Thanksgiving holiday. All he has to do is solve two murders. But if he can’t even convince his sister to bake his favorite chocolate pie, how can he hope to save his friend?

With the help of his girlfriend, some wacky coworkers and Buddy the rambunctious Labrador, Marty sets out to disprove the ironclad evidence. But as the suspect list blossoms out of control, his bumbling efforts might lead him into problems faster than a failing hard drive.

Can he clear his friend’s name before he’s blown to bits?

Hit and Mist is the fourth book in the riotous Silicon Valley cozy mystery series. If you like your murder cases twisty, your suspect lists long, and your detectives clueless, then you’ll love Marc Jedel’s humorous murder adventure.

Buy Hit and Mist to stumble onto the truth today!

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Marty Marty Marty….what are we going to do with you?

I have enjoyed this series from the first book.  Marty is a doting uncle that tells bad jokes to his nieces and has an inflated sense of what he does (or doesn’t do) for the local police force.  In fact, it has earned him the nickname Princess from Detective Mace.  But that doesn’t stop him, along with some help from his coworkers, in jumping right in to try and solve the mystery and help his friend, Brody, out of a jam.  Sadly, I don’t think he gets much of it right.

Marty makes me laugh at the situations he finds himself in the middle of and I sometimes wonder how he can be so clueless.  I think I mentioned this in some of my reviews of his other books, but I think Marty might be on the spectrum.  If he isn’t, he has many traits such as his obsession with different aspects of the case or with his friends.  I do like how his girlfriend, Megan, helps keep him somewhat grounded.  His sister, nieces, and even his neighbor Mrs. Kim round out his life.  I was happy to see his coworker, Raj, back from his trip to India.  However, there is a surprise that he unleashes on Marty that should make for some interesting side stories in future books.

The mystery was engaging and it was intriguing to watch Marty try and connect the dots.  No spoilers, but the reveal of the killer wasn’t what I was expecting.  I did guess how one part of that scene would play out based on previous comments in the book.

Overall, an enjoyable series and we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

For most of my life, I’ve been inventing stories. Some, especially when I was young, involved my sister as the villain. As my sister’s brother for her entire life, I’m highly qualified to tell the tale of this evolving, quirky sibling relationship.

My writing skills were honed in years of marketing leadership positions in Silicon Valley. While my high tech marketing roles involved crafting plenty of fiction, we called these marketing collateral, emails, and ads.

The publication of my first novel, Uncle and Ants, gave me permission to claim “author” as my job. And achieving Amazon Best Seller status gave me even better adjectives to use in front of “author.” This has led to way more interesting discussions than answering “marketing.”

My family would tell you that Marty’s character isn’t much of a stretch of the imagination for me, but I’m comfortable with that situation.

Like Marty, I live in Silicon Valley and can’t believe that otherwise normal people would willingly jump out of an airplane and call it fun. Unlike Marty, I have a wonderful wife and a neurotic but sweet, small dog, who is often the first to weigh in on the humor in my writing.

 

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Southern Sass and a Crispy Corpse (A Marygene Brown Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kensington (May 26, 2020)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

On Georgia’s picturesque Peach Cove Island, a killer is serving up a two-for-one special . . .

After their mama’s passing, Marygene Brown returned to Peach Cove Island to help her sister Jena Lynn run the family diner, renowned for its homemade peach desserts. But Mama is never too far away—her sassy spirit haunts the island, and more specifically Marygene. Lately Mama has been warning her that the dead will seek her out to solve their murders, an idea Marygene is far from peachy keen on.

But that prophecy appears to be coming true when she goes skinny-dipping off the island and swims right into a woman’s charred corpse floating in the waves. And when Marygene and her brother Sam come upon a second burned body in a wine cellar at an event they’re catering, it appears they have a double homicide on their hands. It soon turns out the victims have more in common than their charred remains, and Marygene will need to double down to find a killer who has no aversion to playing with fire. Good thing Mama has her back . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Marygene’s Kitchen!

 

 

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Review

 

This is the first book I have ready by this author and wow!  What a story she weaves with interesting characters and backstories and the mystery itself?  One I did not expect.

This is the 2nd in the series and if you have followed my reviews for any length of time, you know I prefer to read a series in order.  For some reason, I decided to go ahead and read this book and while there was a little bit about Marygene’s past I did not know about, the author did a good job of giving some detail so I didn’t feel totally in the dark.  I still think that it would be best to start with the first book in this series to have a better understanding of the characters, but the mystery is unique to this book.

Marygene has some baggage, and that might be an understatement.  She has a complicated past and she is leery of trusting anyone outside of her immediate family.  On top of that, she sees her mother’s ghost who prods her into investigating the crimes.  Her mother is limited as to what she can tell Marygene about the incidents but she does help save a few people indirectly.  There is a fleeting relationship with Alex, a deputy that works for her dad, but a potentially innocent incident has Marygene thinking that perhaps they don’t need to be together.  Enter newer deputy, Javier Reyes.  I believe he is in the first book, but he and Marygene seem to come to an understanding in this book.  Could he be a potential love interest?  Only time will tell.

The mystery of the “crispy corpses” was interesting because I don’t believe any other cozy I have read had this as the crime.  It left an interesting picture in my mind.  On top of that, Marygene discovers the first body while skinny dipping.  She is a brave soul to bare it all and then to end up finding the first body.  Yup, there is more than one to find.  And the ties to the past regarding these bodies added a nice twist.  When the full truth was revealed you could have knocked me over with a feather.  While I suspected one person involved with the crime, the full story was not one that even crossed my mind.  Many people were shocked by the revelations.

Overall we enjoyed this cozy and I plan to go back and read the first book to gain a better understanding of Marygene and her family.  We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kate Young writes Southern mystery novels. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Guppy Chapter. Kate lives in a small town in Georgia with her husband, three kids, and Shih Tzu. When she is not writing her own books, she’s reading or cooking.

 

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Hostage to Fortune: A Tea and Tarot Cozy Mystery
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Misterio Press (May 21, 2020)
Number of Pages: 250

Synopsis

 

Abigail and Hyperion uncork a murder… 

Tea and Tarot room owner Abigail Beanblossom is used to running interference for her socially-awkward former boss, tech billionaire Razzzor. So when he invites her on a stakeout to investigate the sale of counterfeit wine from his latest venture – an upscale winery – she barrels on in. But the two stumble across the corpse of a wine merchant, and new wine in old bottles is now the least of their problems.

Good thing amateur detectives Abigail and her partner, tarot reader Hyperion Night, have a nose for murder. Their investigation takes them from elegant wine cellars to chic tea parties on the California coast. But just as the investigation starts to get its legs, Abigail discovers there’s more than wine at the bottom of this crime…

Hostage to Fortune is book 2 in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Start reading this hilariously cozy caper today!

Tearoom recipes in the back of the book.

 

 

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Review

 

Abigail and Hyperion are back in a new mystery in their sleepy little town in CA.  This time we get to know Razzzor and prove to Hyperion that he isn’t Abigail’s imaginary friend.  Of course, there is Brik, Grandpa, and Tomas throwing in their 2 cents to help solve the case and protect Abigail.

I love tea and find tarot interesting, so this is the type of shop I would like to visit.  Abigail is making tarot themed teas and the recipes sound delicious.  I’m not sure I would make them since that isn’t my expertise, but if I could buy them somewhere I certainly would.  I won’t even go into the scones….I think I gained 5 lbs just imaging them in my mouth!

As I mentioned above, we get to know a bit more about Razzzor other than he plays a Nazi Zombie game with Abigail online.  He is a bit eccentric and maybe that is due to his wealth and protecting himself at all costs.  In this book, he ropes Abigail into helping him figure out who is counterfeiting his wine.  Abigail is a true friend and doesn’t know how to say no to anyone.  So she lands in the middle of another case trying to protect Razzzor from being charged with murder and almost ends up dead herself.  There are a few suspects and when the true killer was revealed I was very surprised because I did not suspect this character.  I had it pinned on someone else.  My suspect wasn’t totally innocent but was not the killer.

Abigail’s relationship, such as it is, with Brik is expanded upon and there are a few scenarios that might bring these two together in the near future.  Hyperion seems to have his eyes set on Detective Tony Chase and the feeling might be reciprocated.  Only future books will delve more into this potential relationship.

I have really enjoyed this series so far and look forward to more tea and tarot books.  We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth, and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter

 

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Giveaway

 

 

 

 

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Synopsis

 

Tea, tarot, and trouble.

Abigail Beanblossom’s dream of owning a tea room in her California beach town is about to come true. She’s got the lease, the start-up funds, and the recipes. But Abigail’s out of a tearoom and into hot water when the realtor turns out to be a conman… and then turns up dead.

But not even death puts an end to the conman’s mischief. He rented the same space to a tarot reader, Hyperion Night. Convinced his tarot room is in the cards, Night’s not letting go of the building without a fight. Steamed, Abigail realizes the only way to salvage her tea room is to join forces with the tarot reader, even if he isn’t her cup of tea.

But they must work together, steeping themselves in the murky waters of the sham realtor’s double dealings, in order to unearth the truth – before murder boils over again.

Steeped in Murder is the first book in the Tea and Tarot cozy mystery series. Buy the book to start this hilarious caper today.

 

 

 

Review

 

This new series is steeped in tea, mystery, and murder.

Things are going well for Abigail when she discovers that the building she has rented for her tea room is not valid.  I can’t even imagine her frustration and disappointment, especially when it was doubly rented to a tarot card reader with quite an unusual name, Hyperion Night.  While their relationship gets off to a rocky start, I was happy to see a friendship develop even though Hyperion is a bit eccentric.  Perhaps it goes with reading tarot cards?

Abigail does have her grandfather that is behind her tearoom, along with Tomas, a retired lawyer that uses his skills to assist Abigail in a few situations.  There is a hunky new neighbor, Brik, that could be a potential love interest for Abigail.  The police detective on the case is a Texan that happens to be a germaphobe.  A few situations with him gave me a chuckle.

There is a wide variety of characters in this book and trying to decipher who might have had cause to murder the fake real estate agent took some doing.  While I suspected several of the characters, the reality wasn’t too far from my grasp.  While I had my suspicions about this character, the why surprised me.

I enjoyed reading this first in the series and expect it will be a fun series to follow.  There is much more to learn about the various characters and the addition of Peking the pet duck was genius because it made for some cute scenes especially when Hyperion’s cat because the duck’s best bud.

We give this 4 paws up and have the 2nd book to read and see where things develop from there.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kirsten Weiss has never met a dessert she didn’t like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but she drinks it anyway.

Now based in Colorado Springs, CO, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.

If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Tea and Tarot, Paranormal Museum and Wits’ End books. If you’re looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth, and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.

Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter

 

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Synopsis

 

A young winery owner won’t let one sour grape ruin the bunch in the first installment of this exciting cozy mystery series.

Parker Valentine has always dreamed of opening her own winery in her hometown of Boulder, Colorado. But she gets more than she bargained for when a food and wine critic unexpectedly shows up at Vino Valentine on opening day. A negative review could be fatal for her business, and not only does he seem to hate her chardonnay, he also collapses and dies shortly after drinking it.

Although Parker hoped that the attendees would put a cork in it, soon her winery is at the center of a social media firestorm. With #killerchardonnay trending online, Parker’s business is in danger of closing, and she has no choice but to investigate the murder herself.

To restore her reputation, catch a killer, and keep her struggling business open, Parker needs only one thing: some good proof.

 

 

The book is scheduled to be released May 26th, 2020, Pre-order now!

 

 

Review

 

What a delightful new series set in Boulder Colorado centered around a new winery with interesting names for the wines and many food descriptions.  It is like the best of all worlds for me.

Parker is quite an independent woman that thinks she does not have the support of her parents when she decides to open a winery.  It is her passion and she has put everything into seeing this business succeed.  However, she doesn’t expect someone to be murdered on opening day and for this to create bad press for her winery.  Despite the police involvement in trying to solve this case, Parker decides they aren’t moving fast enough and decides to do some sleuthing on her own.  As with most cozies, this almost lands her in some very hot water and possibly becoming a victim herself.

I was engrossed in this book from start to finish.  I tried to figure out who the killer was and while I had my suspicions about this character by the end, I had not figured out the why.  There are several red herrings, intriguing characters, and a potential love triangle.  This book really starts the series off with a bang and the author has a lot to live up to with the next book.

There were a few quotes that I really liked and I wanted to share them with you:

“Like a good red wine, sometimes you need to let a problem breathe – decant – to better understand its flavors.”

“…two undeniably attractive men waiting on my doorstep like Amazon packages.”

 

We give this book 5 paws up and we want to try some of the dishes and the wines!

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kate lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, two-year-old daughter, and a chair-napping tabby cat named Maple. Her love for mysteries began when she devoured From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler as a young girl and has grown from there.

An award-winning short story author, her work has appeared in the Brave New Girls Anthology and the Crossing Colfax Anthology. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and is represented by Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency.

 

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The House That Vanity Built (A Misty Dawn Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (May 12, 2020)
Hardcover: 242 pages

 

Synopsis

Misty Dawn, a former Hollywood psychic to the stars, knows the dark and sometimes glamorous streets of Los Angeles are full of secrets, broken promises, and dashed hopes.

When a young woman comes to her door because she’s lost her engagement ring and is afraid to tell her fiancé (the son of one of the world’s biggest cosmetics empires), Misty senses it’s no accident.

Together Misty Dawn and her psychic charge, Wilson Thorne, must not only sneak behind the walls of the Conroy Estate (aka The House That Vanity Built), but go beyond the veil where the luminaries have laid plans to seek revenge.

Murder, lust, and a quest for a fountain of youth are hidden inside a family’s secret, one that threatens to upend the young woman’s life, and quite possibly, Misty’s as well.

 

 

 

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Review

 

Misty Dawn isn’t what you might expect when you think of a psychic.  She is a matter of fact and doesn’t hold anything back when sharing what she learns or what she thinks about people, situations, or cases.  She gets around town with her shade, Winston, that has a flair for the dramatic and doesn’t seem to understand that he has some limitations as to what he can or should do as a shade.  Misty is always telling him he shouldn’t do certain things or that other spirit beings can be harmful to his progression if he ever wants to leave this world.

In this second in the series, Misty is helping Amy with what seems to be an innocent task – what happened to her engagement ring. While Misty can’t tell her exactly where it is, she knows it isn’t lost forever.  She never expects to receive a call a day or two later with the news that Amy’s fiance is dead.  His father doesn’t believe it was an accident and pushes the police to investigate.  Of course with Misty’s minor ties to the case, she inserts herself to help discover the true cause of Jared’s death.

The case is laid out for the reader with multiple suspects, misdirection, and shenanigans by some luminaries – namely Dr. Conroy’s deceased wife and mistress.  The story kept me engaged and just when I thought I might have solved the mystery, a new clue was introduced or my reasonings were proven incorrect.  I was quite surprised at the reveal and how the story ended.

Another great cozy with a paranormal twist.  We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Nancy Cole Silverman’s realization that she and Edgar Allen Poe shared the same birthday sparked her lifelong interest in mystery fiction. After a very successful career in the radio industry, she turned to writing and her crime-focused novels and short stories have attracted readers throughout America. Her Carol Childs Mysteries series (Henery Press) features a single-mom whose “day job” as a reporter at a busy Los Angeles radio station often leads to long nights as a crime-solver. Silverman lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a thoroughly pampered standard poodle.

 

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Killing Time (A Dodie O’Dell Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Lyrical Press (June 2, 2020)
Number of Pages: 215

Synopsis

 

With Halloween just around the corner, Dodie O’Dell is making preparations to transform the Windjammer Restaurant on the Jersey Shore into a haunted house, while the Etonville Little Theatre is staging Dracula. But casting the titular Transylvanian is proving challenging. The amateur actors in the company are not shy about chewing the scenery, but who among them can convincingly sink their fangs into a victim’s neck? When a mysterious newcomer with a transfixing Eastern European accent lands the part, rumors that he might be an actual vampire start to take flight—not unlike the bat who’s recently been spotted in the town park.

 

But everyone’s blood really runs cold when a stranger is found in the cemetery with a real stake in his heart. Dodie decides to put her Halloween theme menu on the back burner and stick her neck out to bring the killer into the light of day. She’d better keep her wits about her, though—or Dodie may be the next one to go down for the Count . . .

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Today we welcome Lola from the Dodie O’Dell mysteries and she gives us a look into her character and the series.  Take it away Lola!

 

I’m beside myself! As artistic director of the Etonville Little Theatre I am responsible for making sure the production gets on its feet. At least that’s what I thought my job was, but now I find myself holding Walter’s hand, because he’s always about five minutes away from a panic attack, keeping Penny in control and muzzling her whistle, if possible, and calming the members of the theatre whenever a crisis hits a production… “Lola, take a breath and pump the brakes,” Dodie, my BFF and the manager of the Windjammer restaurant, would say right about now.

I’ll start over… ever since Walter, the founder of the Etonville Little Theatre, was caught doing some creative bookkeeping with the theatre’s box office, the board appointed me acting artistic director to replace Walter. I was perfectly happy as the theatre’s diva, starring in nearly every production. I loved it…the bright lights, the applause, the ecstatic reviews in the Etonville Standard…well, mostly ecstatic. But now I’m wearing two hats: artistic director and occasional performer.

Except for Walter’s moods,  anxiety, and decision to direct/perform/or write every show, and production manager Penny’s claim that the only way to corral actors is by blasting her ridiculously loud whistle, things have been running smoothly. As smoothly as possible given that the ELT is usually on the brink of a disaster.

But I had such hope for a calm, stress-free fall production. I campaigned for a small comedy, something simple, fun… that I could star in. Walter wouldn’t hear of it. He said we needed to make a “big splash,” impress the New Jersey community theatre association with a “spectacle.” I just hoped the ELT wouldn’t make a spectacle of itself. Since the show was scheduled to open late October, Walter insisted on Dracula. The ELT members went gaga, the town applauded Walter’s choice, and we were off to the races. I started twisting my blond hair…a nervous tic that Dodie says is a sure sign “I am beside myself.” See what I mean?

Casting wasn’t too much of a problem, except for the lead. Where were we going to find a leading man to play the vampire? Now I was really twirling lengths of hair. Then I caught wind of a new couple in town. They’d rented the old Hanratty house on the edge of Etonville, which definitely looked haunted. They seemed so normal…he was tall, dark and handsome, with a vaguely foreign accent and a widow’s peak. She was serene, pleasant, and read palms. I couldn’t believe our luck, at first. He agreed to play Dracula and the part fit like a glove.

But then strange things started to happen. Props went missing, light cues were erased, and according to Mrs. Parker, who I must admit is a little daffy, a bat was seen flying around the Etonville park. And no one could remember seeing our Dracula in town during the day. Only at night. The thought made me shiver. Dodie would tell me I was letting my imagination run wild… Suddenly, Etonville had contracted vampire fever and the Banger sisters were wearing garlic necklaces. Now, with the opening and Halloween approaching, I’m nervous. Walter is so preoccupied with both directing and playing the lead—I warned him that wearing two hats was one hat too many—that he can’t be bothered with my fears. What if our leading man really is a …? No I can’t say it. It’s unthinkable…

I need to slip next door see to Dodie before dress rehearsal tonight. I know she’ll calm me down. Her logical explanation for everything is a dose of tranquility. That and a glass of chardonnay. Is it too early for happy hour?

 

Excerpt

 

“It sure looks haunted,” Edna murmured to no one in particular, to the cast of Dracula in general. They were grouped around her on the sidewalk that ran past the old Hanratty place that Carlos and Bella had rented. I’d never been inside though once I’d driven by it when I first moved to Etonville on my way out of town. The house stood on half an acre of scruffy lawn with patches of dried dirt, surrounded by a few straggly trees—minus leaves at this time of the year—and no neighbors. The nearest houses were on a side street some distance away. The three-story building looked as if it might collapse at any moment, its outer walls covered with weathered, gray shakes, the steps to the front door supported by concrete building blocks. There was no handrail. Light leaked out of windows on the first floor. Curtains covering small, circular panes on the third story—an attic room?—quivered. Was someone up there watching us? I shivered. A turret rose upward from the right side of the structure, giving the house a smidge of outdated dignity. A drain pipe dangled loosely from the gutter.

“Let’s go.” Penny corralled actors and nudged everyone forward to the front door. There were six company members, Renfield saying he’d be along later, plus Penny, Lola, Pauli, and me. Strength in numbers.

We crept across the porch cautiously, aware of the creaking beneath us as the flooring shifted with each individual’s footsteps. Penny put out a hand to knock on the door. Before she could hit knuckles to wood, it flew open. “Welcome everyone!” Bella stood in the doorway, a silhouette backlit by muted foyer lighting.

Behind her Carlos stood silently, observing the group huddled in his entryway, like deer caught in headlights.

Lola took the lead, moving graciously into the house. “Thank you. So nice of you to invite us to your home.”

I’m not sure what the members of the Etonville Little Theatre were expecting. Given the exterior and location of the Hanratty homestead, I anticipated something out of a late-night classic horror film.

 

 

About the Author

 

Suzanne Trauth is a novelist, playwright, screenwriter, and a former university theatre professor. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Dramatists Guild. When she is not writing, Suzanne coaches actors and serves as a celebrant performing wedding ceremonies. She lives in Woodland Park, New Jersey.

 

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Secrets of the Treasure King (Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Publisher: Satori (April 29, 2020)
Print Length: 261 pages
Digital ASIN: B085DC4ZVS

 

Synopsis

 

 

The Seaside Cove rumor mill is buzzing about the captain of The Treasure King. He claims to know the location of the San Manuel, a four-hundred-year-old sunken Spanish galleon with a cargo worth millions. And now, he’s dead, the victim of a speargun attack.

When the police ask B&B owner Rick Atwood to consult in the investigation, he has mixed feelings. Consulting for the police is not the problem. He’s done it before. The problem is his eleven-year-old daughter, Alex.

Alex is fearless, precocious, and fueled by a strong sense of girl power. She’s also convinced the cops will never find the killer without her help, so she launches her own investigation—and quickly becomes a candidate for Seaside Cove’s youngest felon.

Now, unless Rick can solve the case with the clues Alex found illegally, his daughter might face charges of breaking-and-entering, the treasure of the San Manuel will be lost to pirates, and a killer could get away with murder.

 

 

Guest Post

 

Four hundred years ago…

 

Imagine yourself crammed aboard a small sailing ship with a hundred and fifty others. Your fellow passengers include soldiers, traders, families—and farm animals. That’s right, 400 years ago you might have shared your sleeping accommodations with a horse, a lamb, a cow, or maybe the rats, fleas, and cockroaches. It was an ideal environment for diseases like yellow fever.

The rewards, however, made the risks worthwhile. Everyone was there for a chance to make their fortune by trading, stealing, or other means. Although no 400-year-old sailing ships have survived, there is one replica in existence, the Andalucia.

 

Replicas, all that remain

 

In San Diego, we don’t have a galleon, but we do have a replica of the 18^th Century Royal Navy frigate Rose. The H.M.S. Surprise was built in the 1970s, then painstakingly refurbished for the film Master and Commander. The photos of the Surprise may give some inkling of what life was like for those aboard an old sailing vessel. For months at a time, a sail-powered ship would ply the seas, hoping for favorable winds and ports of call.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding the San Manuel

 

In the first four Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast mysteries, everyone wants to find the San Manuel, a fictional Spanish galleon. According to the legends about the San Manuel, its luck ran out and the ship became of victim of the sea.

There are two reasons I found the search for a 400-year-old sunken treasure ship so fascinating. First, there’s the allure of finding riches from so long ago. A ship traveling to the Americas from the Far East would have been carrying china, ivory, and ancient artwork. The second reason is that treasure hunting hasn’t changed much in 400 years. When I began my research, I spoke to a man who had spent his life researching Sir Francis Drake and those that try to find lost treasure. He warned me that even today’s treasure hunters are an “unsavory bunch.”

Treasure hunting was a cutthroat business in Drake’s time. These days, the technology has changed, but not much else. Treasure hunters around the world—from individuals to multinational companies—compete to make their fortunes, and many of them will stop at nothing to get what they want.

 

Secrets of the Treasure King

 

Come join me in Seaside Cove. It’s the little town where murder meets the sea. And where secrets just might get you killed. A lost treasure ship. A web of lies. A murdered ship captain. Can a father-daughter duo unravel this mystery before a killer escapes with a secret worth millions?

 

 

About the Author

 

Terry Ambrose is a former skip tracer who only stole cars when it was legal. He’s long since turned his talents to writing mysteries and thrillers. Several of his books have been award finalists and in 2014 his thriller, “Con Game,” won the San Diego Book Awards for Best Action-Thriller. He’s currently working on the Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery series.

 

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A Deadly Inside Scoop (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (May 12, 2020)
Paperback: 384 pages

 

Synopsis

 

This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.

 

Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family’s ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she’s going back to basics. Win is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.

To make matters worse, that evening, Win finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Win’s father is implicated in his death. It’s not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Win is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she’ll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown…

 

 

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Review

 

How can a new cozy series that features ice cream be bad?  It can’t!  In fact, it is downright delicious and the recipes at the end will have you pulling out an ice cream maker to make some for your own home.

Bronwyn Crewse, AKA Win, is our protagonist and amateur sleuth.  She has recently returned to Chagrin Falls from NY and is reopening her grandparent’s ice cream shop.  This shop has a history in that town and many have fond memories of her grandparents and the ice cream.  The relationship with PopPop is heartwarming since he has been waiting for Win to come back and run the shop.  Win’s parents are a bit overprotective of her since she is a girl and the baby of the family.  It isn’t too surprising to see that trait from her parents or even her older brothers – and there are three of those!

Win is not on her own, she has two close friends – Maisie and Riva.  Riva is a no-nonsense type of gal and you better watch out if you get on her bad side.  Maisie is something of a free spirit and I’m not really sure what to make of her character and I think she is something of a loose cannon.  She tended to jump in feet first without thinking things through and could potentially put them in harms way.  I think this line from the book sums up Maisie quite well and is the thoughts of one of Win’s brother, James:

 

“He thought Maisie was a bundle of fireworks hovering over an open flame. He said no one would ever know when her fuse would catch fire or what direction she’d take off in. She was festive, he said, but potentially dangerous.”

 

The mystery is well thought out and while there are several characters to suspect of being the killer, the true killer might come as a surprise.  I know I didn’t suspect this person but thought there was something strange about their actions.  Now we know why!

I enjoyed the nod to the original Pink Panther movie with characters using some of their names like Peter Sellers and David Nivens.

There is a potential budding romance with a former police officer turned law professor who goes by the nickname O.  He has his eye on Win and I think she might have some interest in him too despite her protests.  I am anxious to see how this might play out.  I also wonder about the police detective and if he might be interested in Win or if he was just working with her to get information?  Only time will tell.

The only thing I thought was really odd was that Win called her parents mommy and daddy.  Most people I know shorten it to mom and dad especially as they get older.

This is an enjoyable start to a new series and I suggest giving it a whirl.  I am tempted to try the recipes at the end of the book as they all sound delicious!  I just need an ice cream maker.

We give this book 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Wall Street JournalBestselling Author Abby Collette loves a good mystery. Born and raised in Cleveland, it’s even a mystery to her why she has yet to move to a warmer place. Author of the two Southern cozy mystery series Logan Dickerson Mysteries featuring a second-generation archaeologist and a nonagenarian who is always digging up trouble, and the Romaine Wilder Mysteries, set in East Texas, it pairs a medical examiner and her feisty auntie who owns a funeral home and is always ready to solve a whodunnit. Abby spends her time writing, facilitating writing workshops at local libraries, and spending time with her grandchildren, each of which is her favorite.

 

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Fireworks, A Firecracker & Foul Play
Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Independently Published
Number of Pages: approximately 200 (including recipes)
Digital ASIN: B0862DF52C

 

Synopsis

 

How do you plan the perfect July 4th wedding with the groom in jail for murder?

Anna is not about to find out. And no way is she getting married in the jail house. Not happening. Instead, she’s off to uncover the actual murderer, because there’s no way her fiancé Logan would hurt anyone. Yeah, sure, he looks kind of intimidating, but he’s a cop. He fights crime. He doesn’t commit it!

Will the gals of Callie’s Cakes solve the mystery before Anna’s wedding is ruined?

Cupcakes not included, although recipes for all the delicious cupcakes Anna bakes are.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

If you are looking for a mystery series that is a quick read (say over lunch) then check this series out. Not only is their a mystery to be solved, but the quick pace and humor will also keep you entertained. I know I was chuckling throughout the book.

Anna is quite the character. At 5′ nothing and hair that changes color with her moods, she is a force to be reckoned with especially when it comes to her man, Logan. It doesn’t matter that he is a police officer and better equipped to handle finding a killer, Anna isn’t going to let that stop her with the assistance of Callie and Kristie, her work partners in crime.

While the mystery isn’t really one to be solved by the reader (since the killer is never mentioned in the cast) it is fun to watch Anna try and sneak around to solve the case so it doesn’t interfere with her wedding that is just a week away.

I enjoy this series and suggest starting at the beginning to get to know all of the characters and their quirks.

We give this 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom’s Harlequin romances to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn’t flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic before returning to the law. But practicing law really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out running a B&B wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where, in between tennis matches and failing to save the world, I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.

 

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