Posted in Book Release, Cozy, Monday, mystery on March 18, 2024

 

 

Synopsis

 

In heroine Tempest Raj, modern-day queen of the locked room mystery Gigi Pandian has created a brilliant homage to the greats of classic detective fiction.

Secret Staircase Construction is under attack, and Tempest Raj feels helpless. After former client Julian Rhodes tried to kill his wife, he blamed her “accident” on the home renovation company’s craftsmanship. Now the family business—known for bringing magic into homes through hidden doors, floating staircases, and architectural puzzle walls—is at a breaking point. No amount of Scottish and Indian meals from her grandfather can distract Tempest from the truth: they’re being framed.

When Tempest receives an urgent midnight phone call from Julian, she decides to meet him at the historic Whispering Creek Theater—only to find his dead body, a sword through his chest. After a blade appears from thin air to claim another victim, Tempest is certain they’re dealing with a booby trap… something Secret Staircase Construction could easily build. Tempest refuses to wait for the investigation to turn to her or her loved ones. She knows the pieces of the puzzle are right in front of her, she just has to put them together correctly before more disaster strikes.

Multiple award-winning author Gigi Pandian and her sleuth Tempest Raj return in A Midnight Puzzle, where an old theater reveals a deadly booby trap, secrets, and one puzzle of a mystery.

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Bookshop

 

This book releases on Tuesday, March 19th, 2024. Preorder your copy today!!

 

 

About the Author

 

gigi-pandianGIGI PANDIAN is the USA Today bestselling and multiple-award-winning author of the Secret Staircase mysteries, inspired by elements from her own family background. She is also the author of the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, and more than a dozen locked-room mystery short stories. Pandian has won Agatha, Anthony, Lefty, and Derringer awards, and was a finalist for an Edgar Award. A breast cancer survivor and accidental almost-vegan who adores cooking, she lives with her husband in Northern California.

 

Website  ~  X (Twitter)  ~  Facebook ~ Newsletter * Instagram

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Historical, Monday, mystery on February 19, 2024

 

 

 

 

Murder Under A Honey Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Historical Cozy Mystery
Historical Cozy Mystery
12th in Series
Setting – On the RMS Majesty ocean liner in the Atlantic
Worker Bee Press (February 19, 2024)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 250 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth, are on their honeymoon at last. They have just boarded the RMS Majesty ocean liner. The couple are looking forward to visiting Robert’s ancestral English home, Brynelleth, and then off to Paris before winding up on the Italian Riviera. After a romantic evening of dancing until the wee hours of the night, Mona and Robert discover their suite has been ransacked and Mona’s jewelry, supposedly secured in their stateroom, has been stolen.

Mona is horrified, as some of the jewelry belongs to the Brynelleth Estate and were cherished pieces of Robert’s mother. The ship’s crew searches the ocean liner, and a gold brooch turns up in a bartender’s cabin. It is the same bartender who served Mona earlier in the evening. The only problem is the bartender has been murdered and the rest of the jewelry is still missing.

 

 

Amazon * B&NAppleKobo

 

 

Guest Post

 

Murder Under A Honey Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery

 

I love history.  I love reading and writing about it. In my 1930s Mona Moon Mysteries, I weave in real people and events into the plot and take care to get the history, clothing, language, and food right. I always learn something new, which adds depth to the story and characters.

So, who is in Murder Under A Honey Moon?

The dashing English playwright Noel Coward, Martha Gellhorn, a famous war correspondent, and Virginia Hall, America’s legendary spy.

Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth, are on their honeymoon at last. They have just boarded the RMS Majesty ocean liner. The couple are looking forward to visiting Robert’s ancestral English home, Brynelleth, and then off to Paris before winding up on the Italian Riviera. After a romantic evening of dancing until the wee hours of the night, Mona and Robert discover their suite has been ransacked and Mona’s jewelry, supposedly secured in their stateroom, has been stolen.

Mona is horrified, as some of the jewelry belongs to the Brynelleth Estate and were cherished pieces of Robert’s mother. The ship’s crew searches the ocean liner, and a gold brooch turns up in a bartender’s cabin. It is the same bartender who served Mona earlier in the evening. The only problem is the bartender has been murdered, and the rest of the jewelry is still missing.

So join me on this mysterious and dangerous ocean voyage.  Can you figure out who the murderer is?  Mona does!

 

 

About the Author

 

Award-winning author Abigail Keam writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series—a rags-to-riches 1930s mystery series, which includes real people and events into the story line. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. There is an addendum at the end of the mystery to give more information. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy.”

Miss Abigail currently lives on the Palisades bordering the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters.

 

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Pinterest * Amazon * TikTok

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Monday, mystery on January 22, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

A Bean to Die For (A Coffee Lover’s Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – Florida
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (January 9, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 288 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Perfect for fans of Cleo Coyle and Lucy Burdette, reporter-turned-barista Lana Lewis is back on the case when a body is dug up in the community garden.

Lana Lewis is brewing up new concoctions at Perkatory, a popular café in Devil’s Beach, when she decides she wants to try her hand at growing her own coffee. She secures a gardening plot in the community garden, thanks to her father and the garden’s owner, Darla. Darla’s list of rules is long, but that doesn’t stop someone from leaving Jack Daggett’s body amongst the gardening plots.

Jack, an environmental activist, had been banned from the garden previously, because of his many fights with Darla about organic produce. Lana promises her boyfriend, police chief Noah, that she’s going to stay out of this case, having been too involved in previous cases. But when she learns that Jack died from an accidental overdose, and Darla is the top suspect because of her shady past, Lana can’t help but poke around in an attempt to clear Darla’s name.

As Lana dives deeper into the case, she learns that Jack had more enemies than she realized. When Darla turns up dead, Lana has to turn up the heat on her investigation. With Lana on the case, it won’t be long before someone spills the beans to crack this case wide open. But will she able to find the killer before they strike again?

 

 

 

Amazon * Barnes & NobleKoboBookshop

 

 

Guest Post

 

In the future, those of us who lived through the dark times of the pandemic will measure those years in what we watched while we tried to mentally disconnect from the virus and the world.

Binging streaming TV series was a balm for our stressed souls.

We started with Tiger King, a docu-series about troublingly strange people who were obsessed with big cats. Some of us sampled the sexy-yet-mind-numbingly dumb 365 Days, if only because the main characters were beautiful and were having the sex we weren’t.

After that, we did a one-eighty and tried to redeem what brain cells we had left with Ted Lasso, or perhaps the Queen’s Gambit.

By 2021, we were ready for a touch of the real world. But not too much, because things were still dicey.

And that’s when we were given the best viewing gift of all: a cozy mystery series. There is nothing like a little gentle murder, one that’s low-stakes yet interesting, to capture our attention.

Only Murders in the Building, starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez — along with a rotating list of A-list stars — was released in August of 2021, just as Hot Girl Summer was withering into another dreary, lonely fall.

Readers of cozy mystery novels recognized the series for what it was right away. It had all the hallmarks of the genre: amateur sleuths, a tight knit, closed community, a non-gory homicide, no on-screen sex. The premise was simple: three incredibly different people who all love true crime podcasts come together to make a podcast of their own when a murder happens in their New York City building.

Viewers fell in love with the series, and so did critics; it won multiple Emmys and Golden Globes.

I have a theory that since the pandemic, people have discovered, or re-discovered, cozy mysteries. The genre is perfect for armchair travel.  And in a world that’s become scary and complex, the concept of seeking justice for one homicide turns sharp reality into a comfy, manageable — and most importantly, bingeable — escape.

I published my first cozy mystery, Grounds for Murder, in December of 2020, about nine months before OMITB came out. That show is on its third season, my publisher is about the release the fourth book in the Coffee Lover’s Mystery Series in January. The title is A BEAN TO DIE FOR, and it has all of the cozy tropes readers love: a quirky setting, found family, eccentric characters, humor — and gentle murder.

 

Here’s an excerpt from my book:

 

Dad continued talking about Jack’s crop, and I walked on. Sure enough, there were some tall vines snaking up wire trellises. The spicy, earthy scent of tomato plants hung in the humid, heavy air. Maybe I’d get some free tomatoes out of this situation. Was that unethical, to take the previous guy’s fruit?

It was March, which meant the Florida growing season was in full swing. Unlike up north, it’s impossible to cultivate anything in Florida in the summer. I still didn’t fully know what this meant for my small coffee plants sprouting in the makeshift greenhouse back at my place. Would they grow as well as these tomatoes? I sure hoped so.

I was about to round the corner and walk along the last, long row of my plot when I stopped. There was something unusual lying on the ground.

Feet.

“Uh, guys.” Black sandals and white socks came into view, with the toes pointing to the sky. I leaned forward, unsure if I should pro- ceed further. “Hello? Are you okay?”

Erica slammed into my back, probably because she was looking at her phone. “Hello! What? I’m fine!”

“Not you. Him. There’s something other than tomatoes here,” I said in a shaky voice, pointing in front of me.

There, sticking out between two tall plants bursting with fruit, were the sun-beaten, motionless legs of an elderly man.

 

 

About the Author

 

Tara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow, and the winner of the George C. Polk Award for environmental journalism.

She was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters, and politics. She also writes contemporary romance set in tropical locations under the name Tamara Lush.

Tara is a fan of vintage pulp fiction book covers, Sinatra-era jazz, 1980s fashion, tropical chill, kombucha, gin, tonic, seashells, iPhones, Art Deco, telenovelas, street art, coconut anything, strong coffee and newspapers. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two dogs.

Her debut mystery series is published by Crooked Lane Books.

 

Facebook * Website * Instagram * Goodreads

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Spotlight on November 6, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Bulletproof Barista (A Coffeehouse Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
20th in Series
Setting – New York
Berkley (November 14, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When a film crew’s location shoot delivers an actual shooting, Clare Cosi finds herself at the scene of a true crime in this showstopping entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mysteries from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

Only Murders in Gotham, the smash-hit streaming program, is famous for filming in authentic New York locations and using real New Yorkers as extras. For its second season, they’ve chosen to spotlight the century-old Village Blend and its quirky crew of baristas. Shop manager and master roaster Clare Cosi is beyond thrilled, especially when her superb bulletproof coffee lands her a craft services contract for the production.

Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the landmark shop, reveals an old kinship with the star of the show, comedian Jerry Sullivan. Now a Hollywood legend, Jerry frequented the Blend during his early years performing in Greenwich Village comedy clubs. But the past may hold more than nostalgia for Jerry. Suspicious accidents begin plaguing his shoot. Then a real bullet is fired from a stage gun, and Clare becomes convinced something sinister is afoot.

While Jerry’s production moves to exciting new locations, Clare keeps the coffee flowing—and her investigation going—even as a murderer lurks in the wings. But can she root out the rotten player in this Big Apple production before the lights go out on her?

Includes a stellar menu of surefire recipes!

 

 

 

 

Amazon *  B&N * Kobo * Google Play * Bookshop * Indiebound

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Cleo Coyle – Alice Alfonsi – Marc Cerasini

CLEO COYLE is a pseudonym for Alice Alfonsi, writing in collaboration with her husband, Marc Cerasini. Both are New York Times bestselling authors of the long-running Coffeehouse Mysteries—now celebrating eighteen years in print. They are also authors of the nationally bestselling Haunted Bookshop Mysteries, previously written under the pseudonym Alice Kimberly. Alice has worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C., and New York, and has written popular fiction for adults and children. A former magazine editor, Marc has authored espionage thrillers and nonfiction for adults and children. Alice and Marc are also both bestselling media tie-in writers who have penned properties for Lucasfilm, NBC, Fox, Disney, Imagine, and MGM. They live and work in New York City, where they write independently and together.

 

Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Twitter

 

BookBub * Goodreads * Instagram

 

 

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on October 23, 2023

 

 

Synopsis

 

As the manager of Vino y Vida Wine Bar in Colinas, Cecelia “Cece” Barton’s first Alexander Valley harvest is a whirlwind of activity. Her twin sister, Allie Halstead, who owns a nearby Victorian bed & breakfast, is accustomed to the hustle and bustle of peak tourist season. But Cece barely has a moment to enjoy her new home in between worrying about her estranged college-age daughter, juggling her responsibilities at the bar, and navigating the sticky politics of the local wine association. Just when it seems things can’t grow any more intense, Colinas is rocked by a murder within the wine community . . . and Cece is identified as a possible suspect!

With her reputation and her livelihood on the line—and the Sonoma County deputy sheriff breathing down her neck—Cece has no choice but to open up her own murder investigation. Tensions are already high in the valley, as a massive wildfire creeps toward Colinas, threatening homes, vineyards, and the vital tourist trade. And now, with a murderer on the loose, and Cece’s sleuthing exposing the valley’s bitterest old rivalries and secret new alliances, Colinas feels ready to pop! But with Allie’s help, Cece is determined to catch the killer and clear her name before everything she’s worked so hard for goes up in flames . . .

 

 

Amazon * B&N * Bookshop

 

 

Review

 

What a great start to a new series! Wine, small town, and murder…some of my favorite things.

Cece Barton is starting her life over in this small California town after the death of her husband. Her twin sister lives here, which made it a logical choice. Apparently, she is good at sleuthing since there are references to her solving a murder before. This is the first in the series, so I don’t know if it is a spin-off from another series or if there are just references to her solving a previous murder.

I wasn’t sure what to make of Cece at first. She seemed unsure of herself and perhaps a bit wishy-washy. However, as the book progressed, I watched her develop and become a little more self-assured. She has a great relationship with her sister but a rocky one with her daughter. However, they are both still grieving a loss, and sometimes, it is easier to take out your grief and anger on someone still living versus the deceased. However, I was glad to see that the relationship started back to somewhat normal by the end of the book.

I love it when despicable characters are axed in books. It is easier than dealing with a nasty attitude for a whole book. Not that there aren’t other characters that provide tension throughout, but sometimes truly bad characters need to go. I started having a strong inclination as to who the killer might be a little over halfway through the book. I didn’t know the why, but I just stumbled across a clue and thought it seemed likely. Glad to see I was right!

There is even a potential love interest for Cece, and I look forward to seeing where this relationship might go.

I think this will be a fun series, and I look forward to the next book. We give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Maddie Day is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Cozy Capers Book Club Mysteries, the Country Store Mysteries, the CeCe Barton Mysteries, and the Local Foods Mysteries, as well as other series and short crime fiction written under the name Edith Maxwell. A member of Mystery Writers of America and a proud lifetime member of Sisters in Crime, she is a regular contributor at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen and belongs to the Wicked Authors, a group of bestselling authors who blog at WickedAuthors.com. Day lives with her beau and their cat Martin north of Boston, although she knows Indiana, California, and Cape Cod intimately. She is a wine enthusiast, talented amateur chef, and former farmer.

 

Website * Twitter

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Posted in Book Release, Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Spotlight on October 9, 2023

 

 

 

 

Brush Up On Murder: An Aurora Anderson Mystery
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Setting – California
Vista Beach Press (October 10, 2023)
Print length ‏ : ‎ 284 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Love is in the air in the quiet Los Angeles County city of Vista Beach, home of computer programmer and decorative-painting enthusiast, Aurora (Rory) Anderson.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, residents are training for the annual Love Run and expressing their undying affection for each other by attaching love locks to the pier railings. But a string of bank robberies is ruining the romantic vibe.

While Rory helps friends prepare for a Valentine’s Day wedding, a body is found and the groom is implicated in the murder. Convinced of his innocence, Rory puts her heart into the investigation. Can she identify the killer before someone else encounters their own brush with death?

 

 

 

Amazon * Kobo * B&N

 

 

About the Author

 

Sybil Johnson’s love affair with reading began in kindergarten with “The Three Little Pigs.” Visits to the library introduced her to Encyclopedia Brown, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and a host of other characters. Fast forward to college where she continued reading while studying Computer Science. After a rewarding career in the computer industry, Sybil decided to try her hand at writing mysteries. Her short fiction has appeared in Mysterical-E and Spinetingler Magazine, among others. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in Southern California where she enjoys tole painting, studying ancient languages and spending time with friends and family.

 

Website * Facebook Author Page * Twitter

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Posted in excerpt, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on October 2, 2023

 

 

 

 

The Fog Ladies: Date with Death (A San Francisco Cozy Murder)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Setting – California
Wild Rose Press (October 2, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 338 pages

 

Synopsis

 

The Fog Ladies are at it again, spunky senior sleuths and an overstressed young medical resident solving murders from their elegant apartment building in San Francisco. They join a senior dating group, and romantic intrigue soon turns to murder. Graham Parselle, lady killer extraordinaire, plunges off a cliff on a Senior Singles outing. Did one of his dates pitch him over? Or is Olivia Honeycut’s new beau to blame?

 

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Excerpt

 

Enid Carmichael ducked her head and squeezed her eyes shut and waited for Beverly’s car to smash them to smithereens. Enid was squished in the back of this tin can Mr. Glenn called a car with a huge furry hound taking up more than his fair share of the seat and fouling the air with his stinky breath. She had survived eighty-one long, tedious years. This was not how she wanted to die.

The tin can hurled and thrust her sideways into Boris. He let out a yelp and so did she, but she was alive and she had plenty more tedious years to live, so she could shout all she wanted.

“You did it, Alma! Now get us away from her.”

“I’m trying, but she’s right there! Right behind us.”

Mrs. Carmichael twisted her head around, but her neck didn’t move like it used to. She opened the window and stuck her head out for a better view. Beverly’s car picked up speed and was suddenly so close Mrs. Carmichael could see the maniacal look on her face.

Couldn’t Mr. Glenn’s car go any faster? Wait a minute. “Alma, what are you doing? Don’t stop for the stop sign! This is life and death!”

“I have to stop for the stop sign. What if I hit someone?”

“Hit someone? It’s us who’re being hit. Put your rear in gear.”

Alma pressed the gas pedal, and they shot through the intersection. Shockingly, Beverly’s car slowed for the stop sign, too, but in an instant she was on them.

Alma was whining again. “I’m not allowed to drive without a supervising adult in the car. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.”

“Supervising adult? Good God. Alma Gordon, put the pedal to the metal or I’ll do it for you.”

Alma tugged the wheel one way then the other, pitching them up one street and down the next.

“Good driving, Alma. I think you lost her.”

Clang, clang

“Oh, no, Alma! What street are you crossing? Hyde?”

“Cable car! Hold on, Enid!”

A cable car rocketed down Hyde, passengers hanging out the side taking photos of the San Francisco Bay at the bottom of the steep street, oblivious to the sure death that awaited them when they T-boned Alma and Enid. Or would the cable car slice right through Mr. Glenn’s flimsy car, leaving the ladies sawed in two like a big-stage magic trick gone awry?

The cable car bell clanked incessantly. Alma dodged in front of the outsize doom mobile. Her car teetered on two wheels, Enid was sure. The tires spun and they ended up facing the water far below, the cable car on their bumper.

“Go, Alma, go!”

Enid saw the gripman’s expression, somewhere between terrified and infuriated. His brakes screeched. His passengers screeched.

He yelled, but Enid’s view of him was cut by a car slipping in between them. “It’s Beverly!”

Enid’s stomach heaved as Alma sped downhill. Boris’s body flew up and he landed with his front paws in her lap. He shoved his big head out the window, completely obscuring her sightline. Her face was in his fur and all she could see was his enormous, platter-like tongue, lolling in the wind.

“Eek,” Alma shrieked. “We’re going too fast. These brakes aren’t enough. Brace, Enid, brace!”

Enid was as braced as she could be, squashed behind this dog. The car lurched around a corner, tires squealing.

“Woof, woof, woof,” Boris protested.

Enid opened her mouth to protest, too, but was met with a mouthful of fur. Yuck.

“She’s still there! Enid, I can’t shake her. Hang on!”

Enid’s body hurtled against the door. Mr. Glenn’s car better hold. If the door latch gave way and she plummeted out onto the streets of San Francisco, she’d never forgive him. And just her luck, Beverly’s car would crush her flat into the pavement, and she’d be nothing but a thin smear on the asphalt adorned with a red crop of hair.

She was not going like that. She threw the dog off her. She leaned forward, shot her long arm around Alma’s puny body, and seized the steering wheel. If Alma couldn’t save them, Enid would.

 

 

About the Author

 

Susan McCormick is an award-winning writer and doctor who lives in Seattle. She graduated from Smith College and George Washington University School of Medicine, with additional medical training in Washington, DC and San Francisco, where she lived in an elegant apartment building much like the one in the Fog Ladies books. Susan served as a doctor in the US Army for nine years before moving to the Pacific Northwest and civilian practice. In addition to the Fog Ladies series, she also wrote Granny Can’t Remember Me, a lighthearted picture book about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and The Antidote, a middle grade to adult medical fantasy. She lives with her husband and two sons and loves giant dogs, the bigger and slobberier the better.

 

Website * Facebook * X (Twitter)

 

Instagram * Goodreads * BookBub

 

 

Giveaway

 

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Posted in Cozy, Monday, mystery, Spotlight on September 18, 2023

 

 

 

 

Killer Hooks: A Crochet Mystery
Cozy Mystery
15th in Series
Setting – California
Beyond the Page (September 18, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 230 pages

 

Synopsis

 

When a baby girl is dropped off on Molly Pink’s doorstep, her life is thrown into disarray as she is putting together a troublesome author event at the bookstore where she works.

The author is a demanding former Hollywood columnist whose book is filled with upbeat stories, but who wants to promote a true crime podcast she is about to launch based on the dark side of what she left out of her columns.

At the same time, Molly’s son has asked her to investigate a potential investor in his production company. The baby, who happens to be Molly’s estranged granddaughter offers her an opening into an elite mommy group, a member of which is the wife of the person Molly is to investigate.

When the columnist dies suddenly, Molly finds herself in the crosshairs of an unfamiliar detective who considers her the prime suspect. Molly recruits the help of the Tarzana Hookers to help with all.

 

 

Amazon * B&NKobo

 

This book will be released on 9/26, preorder today!

 

 

About the Author

 

Betty Hechtman is the national bestselling author of the Crochet Mysteries, the Yarn Retreat Mysteries, and the Writer for Hire Mysteries. Handicraft and writing are her passions and she is thrilled to be able to combine them in all of her series. Betty grew up on the South Side of Chicago and has a degree in Fine Art. Since College, she has studied everything from improv comedy to magic. She has had an assortment of professions, including volunteer farm worker picking fruit on a kibbutz tucked between Lebanon and Syria, nanny at a summer resort, waitress at a coffee house, telephone operator, office worker at the Writer’s Guild, public relations assistant at a firm with celebrity clients, and newsletter editor at a Waldorf school. She has written newspaper and magazine pieces, short stories, screenplays, and a middle-grade mystery, Stolen Treasure. She lives with her family and stash of yarn in Southern California. See BettyHechtman.com for more information, excerpts from all her books, and photos of all the projects of the patterns included in her books.

 

Website * Blog * Facebook

 

 

 

 

Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on August 21, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

Murder A La Mode (Coffee & Cream Cafe Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – New York
Gemma Halliday Publishing (August 8, 2023)
Digital – Number of Pages 230

 

Synopsis

 

From author Lena Gregory comes a delicious new series that will warm your heart and leave you guessing until the very end…

When twenty-five-year-old Danika Delaney, black sheep of the Delaney clan, returns home to Long Island to take over Jimmie’s, her eccentric uncle’s old fashioned malt shop on eastern Long Island, she’s not exactly thrilled. But things start to look up when her uncle tells her she can do whatever she’d like with the shop, and it seems she might realize her dream of a small trendy café. That is, until she discovers the body of her ex-boyfriend’s estranged wife in a melted puddle of rocky road in the malt shop basement. With her two sidekicks, her sister and a good childhood friend, in tow, Dani searches for–or stumbles upon—one clue after another. But as she narrows down the suspect list, she realizes if she’s not careful she may end up in a puddle of her own…

 

 

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo

 

 

Review

 

This first book in a new series makes a big splash…or perhaps a dip into the cozy realm. Lena Gregory has written many series, and all have been quite enjoyable.

This new series features an ice cream shop (yum!) in New York. While this book doesn’t focus a lot on the ice cream portion of the business, I think that might come in future books.

Danika returns home after being told she is taking over her uncle’s shop. Could she have turned it down? Maybe, but she didn’t have much else going on in her life, so why not go back to your roots and try something new? What she doesn’t expect is to find her first boyfriend’s wife dead in the shop. While she never really intended to become a sleuth, she is thrown into it and actually does a remarkable job uncovering the clues and the killer. Well, almost. She nearly becomes a victim, but a special character saves the day. Read the book to find out who!

I really enjoyed Gwen, Danika’s friend. These two are quite a pair. I do have to question their judgment sometimes, but that is what good friends do, crazy things for one another.

I don’t know if I suspected this character was the killer. I don’t think I had any specific character in mind, but there were several I wish it would have been just because they are not nice characters. But you need that tension to make a story successful.

There could be a potential love triangle in future books. There is Danika’s first boyfriend, Luca, and the police detective, Jake Barlow. There were misunderstandings in the past between her and Luca, but does that mean she wants to restart a new relationship with him? Especially now that his wife is dead? Only time will tell if they will rekindle their relationship or just be friends.

I really enjoyed this start to a new series, and I can’t wait to see what she has planned for the makeover of the ice cream shop. I am hoping for more ice cream flavors and dishes to whet my appetite.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island, but she recently traded in cold, damp, gray winters for the warmth and sunshine of Central Florida, where she now lives with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

 

 

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Giveaway

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Guest Post, Monday, mystery on June 19, 2023

 

 

 

 

 

Murder at the Pontchartrain
Cozy Mystery (Humorous)
6th in Series
Setting – New Orleans, Louisiana
Anamcara Press LLC (June 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

 

Synopsis

 

“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.

My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.

I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not.

So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”

 

 

Anamcara Press – Amazon

 

 

Guest Post

 

Sydney Lockhart’s World

 

By Kathleen Kaska

 

 

My big, sassy mouth landed me a job as a reporter. Being suspected of murder turned me into a private detective. One job is not that much different than the other. You snoop, you dig, you put yourself in danger. What makes my situation so unusual is that the year is 1952 and I’m a woman. My name is Sydney Lockhart.

The reason I was given the job at the newspaper went like this:

“I’m here to interview for the job, Mr. Turney.”

“You’re a woman,” he said.

“And you’re smarter than you look.”

He threw his head back and laughed. “With a name like Sydney, I thought you were a man. It is a man’s name, you know?”

“When spelled with a ‘i,’ not a ‘y. I would think an editor should know that.”

Turney picked up my application and studied it. He looked back at me. “But this is not a job a woman can handle.”

“I can think, I can write, and unlike some people I can put my biases aside and focus on the facts.”

“I see you have written for the Daily Texan. Writing for the University of Texas newspaper doesn’t compare to hard-core news reporting.”

“Martha Gellhorn was a reporter from Colliers covering the Spanish Civil War and later  became a war correspondent in WWII.”

“True, but she was also married to Ernest Hemingway.”

“I wouldn’t hold that against her.”

My pulse rose in anticipation. Then he tossed my application back on the desk. “Come in on Monday morning. I’ll see what I can do.” He ushered me out the door.

The following week, I was back at the Austin American, working in the Travel and Entertainment department, writing about who wore what to the Ladies Social Society annual banquet, and the best places to stay while traveling. It wasn’t the type of writing I was interested in. Then one day I came into the office and was told to report to Ernest Turney about an assignment regarding a musician.

“Why is he interested in entertainment news?” I asked the society editor.

“Something about the guy hating reporters and refusing interviews. He said he thought you could handle it. He wants the story bad. Just go see him.”

So I did. Now, I’m standing in front of my mirror for one final look at my disguise before heading out to the Crooked J, a seedy bar on the seedy side of town. Ernest assigned me to get an interview with the elusive Hound Dog Jackson who was performing right here in Austin. I was eager to show my stuff and hopefully move into an honest to goodness reporting job. I’d jumped at the chance to get the story even if the Crooked J was on the east side of town, even if few whites frequented the establishment, even if any woman going there alone was asking for trouble.

Trouble seemed to follow me, so what did it matter? Besides, knowing Ernest, I’m sure he didn’t care how I got the interview. I’d picked up a full suit of men’s clothes at Goodwill, complete with shiny wing tips. Confident my man clothes would disguise my gender, I glued on a mustache and stuffed my long red hair under a fedora. I got the story, but not without mishap. My male disguise worked so well, a woman tried to pick me up. The woman was the bouncer’s girlfriend. A brawl ensued, the club owner was impressed with my means of defending myself, and so was Hound Dog. Before the night was over I had my interview and five stitches in my forehead.

I stayed at the Austin American for less than a year. During that time, I’d been assigned to report on the historic Arlington Hotel and Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, Arkansas. When I checked in to the hotel, I found a man in my room, his throat slit. I became a suspect to his murder. To save my own skin, I found the killer and got the attention of a Hot Spring Police Detective named Ralph Dixon.

My next assignment was the New Year’s Eve ball at the Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas. Before I unpacked this time, I made sure the bathroom was free of dead bodies, donned my best outfit and went to the ball. On a crowded dance floor right before midnight, a murdered man fell into my arms. This time I wasn’t so lucky. The cards were stacked against me and I was arrested. A good lawyer bonded me out and I was on the trail of another killer. I was doing fairly well with the investigation when Dixon showed up. He claimed he was just passing through. Sure he was. Hot Springs is 600 miles away from the Texas coast. Once this case was solved, there was another murder at another hotel. Dixon was there. We decided we made a great team, joined forces and opened our detective agency in downtown Austin.

I occasionally do some freelance reporting for Ernest at the newspaper, but after Dixon and I solved a high profile murder of a Texas gubernatorial candidate, our phone has been ringing off the wall.

Things have developed quickly and we are now in New Orleans at the Pontchartrain Hotel. We just came for the courthouse where we filled out an application for a marriage license, which requires a twenty-four-hour waiting period. We need the extra time to convince the local police that we didn’t kill the dead woman in our room.

 

 

About the Author

 

Kathleen Kaska is the author of the awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Kate Caraway Animal-Rights Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country’s largest book group. She also writes mystery trivia. The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book was published by Rowman & Littlefield. Her Holmes short story, “The Adventure at Old Basingstoke,” appears in Sherlock Holmes of Baking Street, a Belanger Books anthology. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars. Watch for Murder at the Pontchartrain: the 6th Sydney Lockhart Mystery in June 2023.

 

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