Today’s Mystery is Little Shop of Homicide by Denise Swanson.  Denise also writes the Scumble River series, which is also a great series to pick up if you haven’t tried them yet.

Synopsis:

Devereaux Sinclair is the happy new owner of the adorable old-fashioned shop in her small Missouri town. But when a revenge-crazed cop accuses Dev of murdering her ex’s fiancée — and the murder weapon is found with her fingerprints all over it — Dev’s store, and her life, quickly turn from charmed to troubled. If she doesn’t find the real killer soon, this five-and-dime owner will be serving twenty-five to life…

Review:

I was surprised when the murder happened right off the bat in this story.  Usually there is a set up of the main character and then the murder happens in the 2nd or maybe 3rd chapter.  But that doesn’t make this a bad book, in fact it was quite good and I really enjoyed the interplay between Devereaux and the cop that couldn’t see past his own revenge to actually look for the killer.  I also liked the love triangle…well sort of triangle.  There is her ex-fiance and then the hunky neighbor’s grandson. 

I think this is going to be another winner of a series for Denise Swanson and look forward to the second book and see if she creates another winning series like the Scumble River series!

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

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

 Synopsis:

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

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

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

Review:

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

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

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

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

Synopsis:

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

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

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

Review:

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

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

The Giveaway:

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

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

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

Synopsis:

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

My thoughts:

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

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

Synopsis:

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

My Review:

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

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

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

Synopsis:

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

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

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

My thoughts:

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

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

I don’t know if any other blog started this but I’m going to have a weekly mystery featured on Monday…hence the title Mystery Monday!

The first book to be features is the first in a new cozy series by Lucy Arlington.  It is called Buried in a Book and is a Novel Idea Mystery.  The second in the series will be called Every Trick in the Book and is due out in February 2013.

Lucy Arlington is the nom de plume for the writing team of Ellery Adams and Sylvia May, two friends who collaborated on an idea that became A Novel Idea Mystery Series. Both are authors in their own right; Ellery writes cozy mysteries and Sylvia women’s fiction.

From the back of the book: 

Colleen Collins is a PI by day (so she knows of what she writes!) and is also an award-winning author who’s written 20 novels and anthologies for Harlequin (including a romantic paranormal thriller for Dorchester, writing as Cassandra Collins). Her books have placed first in the Colorado Gold, Romancing the Rockies, and Top of the Peak contests, and placed in the finals for the Holt Medallion, Coeur de Bois Readers Choice, Award of Excellence, More than Magic, and Romance Writers of America RITA contests.

Book blurb:

Just as washed-up criminal defense attorney, life-long Deadhead (nickname “The Zen Man”), and current PI Rick Levine decides to get relicensed as a lawyer, he’s charged with killing one and ends up in the slammer with a half-mil bail.

Released on bond, Rick and his girlfriend Laura have 30 days to find the real killer. In the course of their investigations, they dig for dirt among Denver’s shady legal backrooms to its tony corporate centers. Dodging bullets, a kidnapping, trumped-up charges and the FBI’s unwanted intervention, Rick and Laura continue tracking key suspects who have motive…eventually learning that true redemption begins at home.

 My Thoughts:

It has been awhile since I read a book with a male protagonist.  Lately I have been reading romance books or cozy mysteries where the main character is a woman.  This was definitely a nice switch.  I’ll say right off the bat that I did figure out “whodoneit”.  Now it is not because it was obvious..in fact, I was never 100% sure that it was who I thought because of the many red herrings tossed into the mix.  But it was just something in my gut that said X was the killer. (thought I was going to spoil it didn’t you?!)  There was a great mix of characters and side story lines that just added to the history of Rick and how he got to be who he became in this story.  The story has a good mix of mystery and suspense and even a little humor.  There are many clues that might help you figure it out before the end of the book…depends on if you can decipher them!

All in all I give this story 2 thumbs up and 4 stars.

The Giveaway:

Colleen has been kind enough to offer an e-book copy of her novel.  You can get it in a format for the Kindle or the Nook.  No e-reader? No problem. You can read The Zen Man on your computer, iPhone, iPad and other devices — you can even read it in your Web browser!

She will also send the winner a t-shirt (L or XL).

So sign up today!  This will close on Sunday, March 18th.

I had good intentions this year to post at least twice a week….well that worked for the first few weeks of the year and then I don’t know what happened.  Actually I can’t believe it is February already, where did January go? 

So my teaser that I should have posted on Tuesday made it to Thursday, but it is still a day that begins with the letter T! 

Today’s teaser is a new series by author Diane Kelly called Death, Taxes and a French Manicure.  The main character is Tara Holloway, an IRS special agent (in Dallas!) out taking down those tax evaders, like Capone.  She is in Texas and grew up in East Texas (Nacogdoches to be specific) and is a take charge woman that can shoot her way out of a situation if necessary.  But heaven forbid it should mess up her manicure!

This book is a romantic mystery with a LOT of witty dialogue.  Heck the first sentence of the book had me laughing and I knew I was in for a treat.  If you are looking for a new series, definitely check this one out.  The second book in the series Death, Taxes and a Skinny No-Whip Latte is due out March 1st and the 3rd book, Death, Taxes and Extra-Hold Hairspray will be out in July.  I cannot wait!  Oh and I just saw on her website that she will be signing copies of that second book on March 10th in Arlington, I’m planning to be there!

So I’m going to offer 2 teasers – the first is the first sentence in the book.  The other will chosen at random.

Chapter One – Some People Just need shooting

When I was nine, I formed a Silly Putty pecker for my Ken doll knowing he’d have no chance of fulfilling Barbie’s needs given the permanent state of erectile dysfunction with which the toy designers of Mattel had cursed him.

from page 61:

Her eyes moved from my face to the pink Cadillac visible through the glass front of the clinic.  “What is it this time?  Makeover gone horribly awry?”