Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Review on June 8, 2020

 

 

 

 

Sprinkles of Suspicion (Cupcake Catering Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Cinnamon & Sugar Press (June 2, 2020)
Print Length: 269 pages

 

Synopsis

 

One glass of cheap California chardonnay cost Emory Gosser Martinez her husband, her job, and her best friend. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her troubles.

Distraught after discovering the betrayal by her husband and best friend, Tori, cupcake caterer Emory Martinez allows her temper to flare. Several people witness her very public altercation with her ex-friend. To make matters worse, Tori exacts her revenge by posting a fake photo of Emory in a compromising situation, which goes viral on social media. When Tori is found murdered, all signs point to Emory being the prime suspect.

With the police investigation focused on gathering evidence to convict her, Emory must prove her innocence while whipping up batches of cupcakes and buttercream. Delving into the past of her murdered ex-friend, she finds other people had reasons to want Tori dead, including Emory’s own husband. Can she find the killer, or will the clues sprinkled around the investigation point the police back to her?

Includes recipes!

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This new series is just amazing!  I loved every word despite the troubles that Emory finds herself smack dab in the middle, her overbearing and pretentious mother, and the slimeball husband.  So many twists and turns that kept me engaged and hanging on every word wondering what could possibly happen next.  And of course, there is a dog involved, so that is just the icing on the cake…or cupcake.

Emory is a simple, yet complex, character.  She has hopes and dreams for her future but she can be a bit naive.  She has been taken in by her husband and as his deception unfolds and the truth revealed, Emory finds that she is made of stiffer stuff and can weather this change in her life.  I would like to see her challenge her mother a bit more and not just do whatever she says, but at the same time, her mother is able to help her with her employment situation and introduces her to a fantastic character, Tillie.  I think Emory and Tillie will be involved in some crazy capers in future books, much to her mother’s chagrin.

The mystery kept me guessing and I honestly was very surprised how this played out.  I never suspected the killer other than thinking this character was a bit odd but no real details to prove up my thoughts.

There is a slew of supporting characters that I look forward to learning more about including a friend from Emory’s past, Brad.  There is a lot more to his story and I hope we discover more in the future.  I think he could be a “sidekick” for Emory, but only time will tell.

Very enjoyable new series that checks off all the boxes for me.  There are also many recipes and I might have to give some of the cupcake ones a whirl.  We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters she can be found either writing stories or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats.  She has published the suspense novel, A GAME OF DECEIT, and has had several children’s articles published in Cricket, Nature Friend, Skipping Stones, and the Seed of Truth magazines. Kim Davis is a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

 

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Review on June 1, 2020

 

 

 

 

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!

 

 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – IndieBound

 

 

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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Posted in 5 paws, Book Release, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on May 25, 2020

 

 

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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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Review on April 27, 2020

 

 

 

 

Seas the Day (A Seafood Capers Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Henery Press (April 21, 2020)
Hardcover: 282 pages

 

Synopsis

Caterer River Holloway cooks like a dream and is known on Shell Island as a “finder” of things. Which is why a desperate mother begs River to track down her grown son, Chili Bolz, who’s vanished.

Deputy Lance Hamlyn can’t find the missing man, so he teams up with River. The missing person case boils over into something frightening when Chili’s mother falls victim to a brutal assault. Worse, her dying words incriminate River’s friends in both kidnapping and, now, murder. River soon finds herself caught in an unsavory recipe for disaster.

Despite catering events and the return of her absentee boyfriend, River finds the number of suspects growing longer than her food shopping list. Along the way she befriends a black cat who becomes her crime-solving partner. River must locate Chili and discover who killed his mother before her own goose is quite literally cooked.

Maggie Toussaint serves up a fun and captivating read in Seas the Day, the first in her Seafood Capers series.

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Wonderful start to a new series.

River is one tough, smart, and dedicated woman. She believes in supporting friends and family no matter what and has a kind heart as we learn during a discussion with Pete about what she would do if she had a million dollars. It is obvious how much she values friendships when she starts looking for Chili, a pseudo big brother at the behest of his mother, Estelle. What River doesn’t realize is that she will be put into some precarious positions in her search.

There is an interesting mix of characters, some are from River’s past since this is a small island, and some are new to the island. While the “bad guy” character becomes obvious due to the character’s words and actions, the culprit could have been anyone and I had a few characters in mind to pin the deed upon. Not all characters are as they seem and there are a few surprises when it comes to her family friends – Estelle, Chili, and Kale. (I did chuckle at their names, how did they get named after foods?!)

River and Pete have an interesting relationship and I feel like there is so much we don’t know and at times I wondered if this might be a spinoff book where these characters were introduced somewhere else. Hopefully, future books will share more of their history so we can better understand them.

There are some recipes at the end of the book that sounds delicious and this comes from someone that doesn’t eat seafood! But I bet I could make some substitutions and have a delicious meal.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Southern author Maggie Toussaint writes cozy and paranormal mysteries, romantic suspense, and dystopian fiction, with twenty fiction novels published. A three-time finalist for Georgia Author of the Year, she’s won three Silver Falchions, the Readers’ Choice, and the EPIC Awards. She’s past president of Mystery Writers of America-Southeast chapter and an officer of LowCountry Sisters In Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where secrets, heritage, and ancient oaks cast long shadows.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on April 20, 2020

 

 

 

 

Old Friends and New, Another Murder (Sheridan Hendley Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Independently published (December 12, 2019)
Paperback: 206 pages

Synopsis

 

A touch of nostalgia, a murder, and good friends.

When a former colleague is implicated in his neighbor’s demise, Sheridan Hendley returns to Cold Creek to prove his innocence. Annoying as Max can be, she can’t imagine the quirky professor is capable of murder. Unfortunately, not everyone shares her opinion. Of course, it doesn’t help that Max threatened his neighbor in a public place soon before the man was murdered. Or that the victim’s drug shipments had a habit of turning up on Max’s doorstep.

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Christa Nardi is an accomplished writer and an avid reader. Her favorite authors have shifted from Carolyn Keene and Earl Stanley Gardner to more contemporary mystery crime authors over time, but she still loves a good mystery. Christa has authored the Cold Creek Cozy Mystery Series, the spinoff Sheridan Hendley Mystery Series, and the Stacie Maroni Mystery Series.  She co-authors the Hannah and Tamar Mystery Series. When not reading or writing, Christa enjoys travel with her husband and playing with three dogs and three grand-daughters.

 

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Giveaway

 

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on April 6, 2020

 

 

Synopsis

 

Claire DeNardo finally has her own detective agency, DeNardo and Son. The son, being her beloved dog, Charlie. Their first client is the wife of a wealthy Cleveland power broker who hires Claire to find her missing daughter. But Claire soon discovers her client’s family is hiding more secrets than there are sprinkles on Aunt Lena’s doughnuts—secrets that result in several murders.

This dangerously spicy case leads Claire to uncover a widespread criminal enterprise in which the names are changed to protect the guilty. Her easy-to-look-at fiancé, Police Detective Brian Corrigan, and his annoyingly stunning new partner, Abby, warn Claire to drop the investigation. But Claire is driven to uncover the truth and prove her client’s innocence, even if it puts her and her trusty sidekick, Charlie, in danger.

 

 

 

 

Review

 

Claire is a tough woman that isn’t afraid to get in there and solve the crime.  It’s a good thing she is a PI because that grants her a little more latitude with potential suspects.  They don’t think twice about answering her questions about the victims or potential murderers.  It doesn’t matter that her fiance is a police detective, he doesn’t like her poking her nose into his cases despite the fact that she is able to unearth details or clues that will help them solve the crime.

This is the first book that I have read in this series and I will say, start with book 1.  While the crime/mystery stands alone, there are details about her relationship with Brian and even the mob that isn’t fully explained in this book.  Setting that aside, I still enjoyed getting to know Claire, Brian, Ed, Lena, and the rest of the gang.  The mystery was well written and while the killer was someone I suspected, I didn’t read anything that really gave it away that it was this character.  There are several different situations happening throughout the book and I liked seeing how it all tied together in the end, or mostly anyway.

There is a character that is somewhat of a threat to Claire and Brian’s relationship, but not too much if these two lovebirds recognize her games and act accordingly.

Overall we thought this was an interesting book but would suggest starting with the first book to understand the relationship between all of the charcters.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Carole is the author of the new cozy mystery series, The Terrified Detective. She has also written a number of stories for Chicken Soup for the Soul and other similar anthologies. She’s published several books of short stories. She currently lives in Dallas, Tx.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on February 17, 2020

 

 

Southern Double Cross: A Southern B&B Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Alibi (February 11, 2020)
Print Length: ~260 pages

 

Synopsis

A fundraising party goes south in a delightful cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Southern Discomfort and the Java Jive novels

Quinn Bellandini is ready to get back to running her grandfather’s B&B in Savannah, Georgia, with her sister, Delilah—but first, she has to coordinate a fundraising event at the house of local philanthropists, with the help of her boyfriend, Tucker Heyward. Everything is running smoothly until Quinn’s friend, Pepper Fox, frantically calls her with the horrifying news that the lady of the house was found dead. Pepper’s brother, who was working as a caterer, is soon charged with her murder.

Pepper knows her brother didn’t commit the crime and asks Quinn, now a veteran detective with two solved murders under her belt, to prove his innocence. Quinn can’t bear to see her friend upset and enlists Delilah and Tucker to help investigate.

The invite list quickly turns into the suspect list as tensions mount and old feuds are brought to light. Could Quinn have hired the only catering company in Georgia that throws in a murder on the side?

 

 

 

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About the Author

CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

 

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Posted in Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery on February 3, 2020

 

 

A Crafter Quilts a Crime: A Handcrafted Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (February 11, 2020)

Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, Holly Quinn’s third Handcrafted mystery aspires to wrap you in its warmth.

Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane must piece together a patchwork of clues when a “live” mannequin ends up stone-cold dead.

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won’t keep the locals away from Heartsford’s annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft’s one-night-only sale, Samantha “Sammy” Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.

Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack–tapping on the glass and making funny faces–but nothing disrupts Wanda’s stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn’t breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.

Detective Liam Nash can’t seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy’s cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda’s untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort.

 

 

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About the Author

Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born.

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Posted in 5 paws, Cozy, Monday, mystery, Review on January 6, 2020

 

Synopsis

When single mom and recent widow Cameron Chandler takes a much-needed job at Penny-wise Investigations, a detective agency conveniently located in a suburban shopping mall, she grabs the chance to reinvent herself. Her first case is to locate a runaway girl, something her predecessor had been pursuing before he disappeared. Following in his footsteps, the trail leads to a survivalist camp on a remote island in northern Puget Sound. Armed with only a Swiss Army Knife and her quirky on-the-job training as a suburban sleuth, Cameron uncovers more than she bargained for. She soon finds herself in a fight for her own survival in this lighthearted mystery set in Seattle and the San Juan Islands to the north.

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

From Chapter 1 Employed at Last!

 

IT WAS THE ONLY STORE in the mall that didn’t invite shoppers to take a look inside. Sandwiched between Ye Olde Candle Shoppe and Sew What?, its mirrored storefront looked impenetrable. Images rebounded off the mirrors, challenging passers-by to guess what went on inside. I slowed down to guess.

It was then I saw the “Help Wanted” sign to the right of the pale oak door. Although I had never bothered to check out the place before, the sign drew me like a powerful magnet.

“Hey, watch it,” an angry voice said. An elderly woman in a hot pink sweat suit pushed past me, leaving no doubt that I had violated one of the mall’s unwritten traffic rules. You don’t cut across the wave of bodies, you go with the flow. I mumbled an apology and stepped out of the mainstream.

The name of the shop was painted in a cobalt blue arc that spanned three quarters of the mirror: “Penny-wise Investigations.” Within the arc in smaller, straight line print was: “Discount Detection.” Lower down and to the right was a tiny griffin emblazoned in gold next to “P.W. Griffin & Associates. Vigilance you can afford.”

A detective agency in a shopping mall? Suburban sleuthing for the middle-class consumer? No way, I said to myself. This isn’t for me.

I backed away, sidestepped around a strolling shopper, and found a seat on a glossy faux wood bench next to a long blue planter full of green plants apparently sustained by the fluorescent rays of overhead lighting. I reached out and fingered one of the plants. Artificial. I tapped the heavy looking planter. Plastic, and hollow. Everything fake and empty, like my life.

The bench faced the shopping mall detective agency. I found myself staring at the mirrored storefront wondering how many of the ordinary people rushing about intent on their shopping ever considered hiring a private investigator. That older woman in the black checked polyester slacks with the gray cardigan, for example. Would she go into the agency and ask them to check on her grandchildren to see which one deserved to inherit her house and all of her personal belongings? And what about that woman in the tight jeans and jaunty sweater who looked as though she had just stepped out of a beauty shop—suppose she wants to know whether her husband is cheating with his executive assistant? Or the pregnant woman riding herd on the little girl who was pulling at her tights to keep them up, might she be lured by a conveniently located discount detective agency if her husband ran off with their child?

I sat there, resting my feet, trying not to feel depressed. “Sale” signs and “Specials” leapt out at me like accusing fingers. If YOU had a job, they seemed to say, then you too could be part of the great American consumer phenomenon.

But I didn’t have a job. And in the last few months I’d heard nothing but reasons why I wasn’t a good fit for this job or that. “Sorry, but since you don’t have administrative skills…” “Sorry, but since you aren’t experienced creating Excel spreadsheets and graphs…” “Sorry, you’re overqualified.” “Sorry, you’re under-qualified.” “Sorry.” My PhD in liberal arts wasn’t a springboard to any of the jobs that were out there. I had reached a professional dead-end that was threatening to make a cul-de-sac out of my entire life.

My eyes went back to the “Help Wanted” sign just an Olympics broad jump leap away. I didn’t know anything about being a private detective. But maybe they wanted a receptionist. The sign didn’t say. I looked away, then remembered the article that had appeared on my refrigerator that morning, held in place by a magnet shaped like a goose wearing a bonnet. The headline read: “Lower standard of living for single mothers.”

 

Review

 

Take one widowed mother and a discount detective service located in a mall and you have this series that is bound to charm the reader.

There was so much to like about this series so I will start with some of my favorite characters. Cameron is a widow with a PhD yet no job to go with it trying to manage two children and a busybody mother who thinks that Cameron just needs to find a new husband. All Cameron knows is that she needs to find a job. You have P.W., the head of the discount detective business that is a bit of a mystery herself. Many of the people working for her have tried to unearth who she really is but to no avail. Yuri is Cameron’s main teacher at the PI agency, showing her the ropes and assisting with her first case. Yuri is a crazy driver and I was very glad that I wasn’t physically in a car with him. Will is like Q in the Bond movies – all sorts of gadgets that might help out on any case. He can be something of a trickster.

I have to credit Cameron for taking on a career field that requires observation and deductive reasoning. Sure I’ve read mysteries for years but that doesn’t mean I should be a PI. I chucked on her first day on the job and her choice to wear heels. Everyone forewarns her that P.W. isn’t going to like the shoe choice. Thankfully it is only her first day so she won’t have to chase after suspects quite yet.

Cameron’s first case is a missing person’s case but it evolves into so much more including some radical Survivalists on one of the San Juan Islands in Washington. This is where the action really heats up and some interesting twists and turns occur. I was spellbound throughout the book and stayed up a little too late the first night because I had to know what happened next.

If you like witty, quirky, and a little crazy then this might be a mystery you will want to read.

We give this 5 paws up.

 

 

About the Author

In a world filled with uncertainty and too little chocolate, Charlotte Stuart, PhD, has taught college courses in communication, gone commercial fishing in Alaska, and survived being the VP of HR and Training for a large credit union. Her current passion is for writing lighthearted mysteries with a pinch of adventure and a dollop of humor. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys watching herons, eagles, seals and other sea life from her Vashon Island home office.

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Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, Monday, mystery, Review on November 25, 2019

 

 

Turkey Basted to Death (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
2.5 in the Series –  A Holiday Book
MYS ED LLC (November 15, 2019)
Number of Pages 133 pages

Synopsis

Thanksgiving is here, and Jolie Tucker has had quite the year! She is ready to sit back and relax with family and friends. But this is Leavensport, OH—so get ready for intense therapy sessions, dysfunctional family holiday gatherings, uninvited guests, and an inner-city teen advocate found DEAD—stabbed in the ear with the turkey baster!

Welcome to Leavensport, OH, where DEATH takes a DELICIOUS turn!

 

 

Review

The great thing about novellas is that when you have just a little time to read you can still enjoy a book and this one checks off all the boxes – intrigue, love, family, and a killer.

This installment in the Cast Iron Mystery series brings together many elements to create a successful story.  Jolie and Ava end up sleuthing (of course), there is a mix of characters from all lifestyles, some intriguing twists and turns concerning the killer, and family that doesn’t understand boundaries…mostly Jolie and Ava’s families!

I was intrigued by Jolie’s visits to a counselor/therapist and the resulting information from her past that we learn.  It is heartbreaking on one hand, but perhaps answers some questions on another for Jolie.  You’ll have to read the book to find out what Jolie uncovers about her past.

The mystery was intriguing and kept me guessing throughout the whole book.  I was quite surprised when the killer was revealed.  This was one I didn’t expect but had a few inklings as Jolie was putting the clues together at the end.

I wonder sometimes how Jolie and Ava manage their crazy families.  Ava is lucky (maybe?) that her family moved away, but when they come back into town, craziness follows.  Jolie somehow manages to keep her family in check (somewhat) considering they all live close by.

This series shows that you can have a complete story with plenty of detail in a shorter length which is perfect to read over lunch or when you have some time to kill.  We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

About the Author

Moving into her second decade of working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her seven cats.

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