Synopsis

 

In a bind, Bud Palmer finds himself at the crossroads when just about everything was on the verge.

Like most people, Bud Palmer felt this was just another day. Though the era was drawing to a close, he assumed his life as a sports columnist in the subtropics, in keeping with the benign fifties itself, would go on as predictable as ever. But that particular autumn morning he was thrust into a caper that was totally beyond him, forced him to leave Miami and take the train to Manhattan, and suddenly found everything in this restless “Big Apple” was up for grabs, on the brink, at a dicey turning point.

 

 

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Praise for Shelly Frome

 

“This is a great mystery that had me guessing at what was really happening. I was sucked in and held tight until the reveal. A couple great twists and turns had me thrown off balance and guessing the whole time.” (Moon Games by Shelly From)-JBrounder Reviews

“It is full of action, adventure, mystery and suspense. It is not one that I could easily predict. The twists and turns kept on the edge of my seat. I never knew what would happen next.” (Moon Games by Shelly Frome)-AmyBooksy, Locks, Hooks, and Books

“The cover of this book shows what looks like a beautiful and peaceful place to live, but looks can be deceiving. Lies, bribery, and deceit are running rampant in this little town. Twists and turns are around every corner. Well written mystery”(Secluded Village Murders by Shelly Frome)- Lisa’s Writopia

“An entertaining story that has enough quirky characters, intrigue, suspense, humor, and drama that easily draws the reader into Emily’s amateur sleuth adventure. This cozy mystery is full of devious plot twists and turns that will easily keep you guessing. The Secluded Village Murders is an intriguing whodunit tale that cozy mystery fans will want to add to their reading list.” (Secluded Village Murders by Shelly Frome)- Kathleen Higgins-Anderson, Jersey Girl Book Reviews 

 

 

Excerpt

 

 

Even when Bud caught up to Katie, she did one of her I’m-mad-and-not-listening pouts and climbed a branch higher on the mango tree until she was almost camouflaged by the big leaves and hanging fruit.

Reaching out to her, Bud said, “Katie, I’m trying to tell you it couldn’t be helped. And if you’d think about the example I just gave you, you could be grown up about it, understand and come down from there.”

“Well I don’t care,” Katie said, poking her narrow face out through the foliage. “You promised. You always keep your promises. And when a person doesn’t all of a sudden keep their promise, they shouldn’t be listened to. And I especially don’t care about some dumb girl named Scout in some dumb town in Alabama, wherever that is.”

“Don’t,” Bud said, as she plucked a plump, reddish Haydon mango, tore into the thick skin, and took a big bite out of the juicy orange pulp. “Come on, Katie. You’ll get it all over your blouse, it’ll dribble onto your overalls and—will you stop this and listen for a second?”

“Why should I?”

“The point, Katie. You’re missing the point. No matter how hard you try, sometimes something comes up and you’ve got to make a choice. Are you going to take the easy way out and be tomboy Scout? Or are you going to go out of your way and be sensible Jean Louise Finch?”

Wiping some of the orange glop off her face, Katie peered down and said, “She’s got two names. How come? I don’t have two names.”

Trying harder, Bud said, “‘Cause Scout was her nickname. ‘Cause the writer was trying to tell us that under pressure—look, she marched straight over to the jailhouse steps and looked this mob right in the eye. Did it before they could storm the jailhouse and harm an innocent prisoner. Dropped her nickname and reminded them who she was and who they were. And said,  ‘Hey, Mister Cunningham. I’m Jean Louise Finch, remember? I play with your boy Walter and you brought my dad and me some hickory nuts.’”

“So?”

“So she made them ashamed. Stood up to them.”

“And that’s why you were late? And that’s what you did?”

“Not exactly. But I wound up at a Miami Beach hotel to keep them from doing harm to your grandmother’s kid brother Uncle Rick. It took some doing, called your mom and made my apologies. And, by the time I was through, it was too late to take you to the parrot jungle. And that’s just for openers.”

“So it’s not over?”

“It could get even worse until I go to New York and—”

“Golly.” Katie said, cutting in. “Then you got to tell me how you stood up to them and saved the day.” She scrambled down and took off through the grove. Before he could catch up to her she raced past Jill, the freckled faced baby sitter, grabbed her mother’s hand and pointed to Bud as he was catching up to her. “Hey, mom, guess what? Uncle Bud is taking on the mob!”

 

 

Guest Review by Nora

 

I honestly was not expecting such an engrossing read going into this! I do appreciate a good historical mystery, but I’m not that familiar with the 1950s, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started ‘Fast Times, Big City.’

Boy, was I surprised to find this would soon become one of my favorite reads of the year so far! This is an electric story about crime, passion and one man’s quest to protect his own family, all set in the buzzing world of New York City in the 1950s.

Bud Palmer is a sports reporter for the Miami Herald. Family means a lot to Bud, especially his sister and his feisty tom-boy of a niece, but when Bud’s mother asks him to check on his uncle while she is on a cruise, Bud is immediately reluctant.

Uncle Rick has a bit of a reputation for being a screw-up. As a private detective, Rick hasn’t had much success and now he’s gotten himself into something that may even get himself killed.

After meeting with Rick, Bud soon learns that his uncle has angered a mobster named Al Escobar who believes that Rick set him up. Something happened during a high-stakes poker game that left a woman that Rick arrived with—a beautiful Marilyn Monroe lookalike—walking away with a briefcase that belongs to Escobar.

Now, Bud has been roped in to traveling to New York to find the blonde and retrieve the briefcase. Of course, he has no idea where to find her, so things get hazardous quickly. Luckily, Bud is a natural investigator, who makes friends quickly even in the mean streets of New York.

‘Fast Times, Big City,’ is a book that you’re going to have to read to believe, I know I had to! This is a top-notch novel that totally transports the reader to another era.

Five stars! (or Paws in the case of this blog!)

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Award winning author, Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications.

His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders and Miranda and the D-Day Caper. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting, Shadow of the Gypsy is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth.

He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

 

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Giveaway

 

This giveaway is for 2 print or ebook copies, open to the U.S. and Canada only.

This giveaway ends on March 26, 2024 midnight, pacific time.

Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only.

 

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Synopsis

 

On a secluded island, homicide detective Jessica Niemi must investigate a drowning that is tied to a frightening ghostly legend in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE WITCH HUNTER.

Jessica Niemi is put on leave after a violent altercation between her and a belligerent man makes headlines. To escape the unwanted scrutiny, Jessica travels to a remote island in the Åland archipelago and rents a room at a small seaside inn. She is hoping to be left alone as she faces the possibility that she is losing what is left of her sanity but three elderly visitors have arrived at the inn for their yearly sojourn. Jessica learns that they are the remaining ‘birds of spring’, former refugees who fled Finland as children during World War II and lived together for a few months in an orphanage on the island.

The orphanage no longer exists but the local legend about one of its inhabitants, a girl named Maija, still haunts the surviving orphans. Every evening Maija would put on her blue coat and stand on the pier, looking out at the dark water until one night, she disappeared and was never seen again. When one of the ‘birds of spring’ is found dead, drowned alongside the same pier, and Jessica learns about two other deaths from the past, also connected to the orphanage, she has no choice but to try and put the pieces of this terrifying mystery together.

Jessica can’t be sure whether she’s facing a killer or—just like the legend says—the ghost of Maija, the girl in the blue coat. Uncertain what is real and what is not, Jessica desperately searches for answers that she hopes will stop the murders and finally silence her own demons once and for all…

 

 

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About the Author

 

International and New York Times bestselling author Max Seeck writes novels and screenplays full-time. He lives with his wife and children near Helsinki.

 

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Murder in Masquerade (A Lady of Letters Mystery)
Historical Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – London, 1860
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Berkley (February 20, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 336 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.

Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury’s secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia’s Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.

But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there’s much more at stake than saving a young woman’s reputation from ruin. It’s going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!

 

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Dear Readers,

 

Be vigilant! A murderer is on the loose in London. This time a murder has taken place in Covent Garden at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. As if Lord Simon Bainbridge wasn’t enough of a nuisance in my previous investigation, he is now determined to find the killer. He believes his help is essential, but he’s too emotionally involved to be completely helpful.

You see, the murder involves a suitor of his dear sister, Lady Marielle, and although the siblings have not been close since his departure for America two years ago, he’s determined that she have a successful season. With one of her suitors dead, her season is not off to the best start.

Lady Marielle, I’m afraid, is just as stubborn as her brother and is resolute in her opinions, one which includes her brother staying out of her business. She’s convinced Simon is making a mess of everything, and I’ll admit, readers, she’s not entirely wrong. But only because he cares for her so deeply.

Their mother passed early in life, and their father, the duke, has been largely absent.  This is one of the reasons Lady Marielle was able to fall in love with a man as dubious as Mr. George Davies. He was her riding instructor many years ago, and she trusted him as implicitly as a student trusts her mentor.

Luckily, Lady Marielle also trusts me. Although she does not know I am Lady Agony, the woman she wrote to for advice in the penny paper, I am one in the same person. I refuse to give up on a reader—and in this case, her dead suitor. I am confident, with my dear friend Kitty’s help, I can find who killed Mr. Davies.

Although Kitty has problems of her own, namely the possibility of having to move out of the city, she is much calmer than Lord Bainbridge right now. Some might think her smart decisions extend only to fashion, but I assure you, she brilliant when it comes to crime. Plus, she is infinitely superior at throwing parities, and she assures me if we can gather the suspects in a garden party, we might just find ourselves a killer.

Of course, it might be her way of forcing me into hosting a soiree. She does love a good party. But if we can have a little fun while catching a murderer, who am I to complain?

 

 

About the Author

 

Mary Winters is the author of the Lady of Letters historical mystery series. She also writes cozy mysteries under the name Mary Angela. A longtime reader and fan of historical fiction, Mary set her latest work in Victorian England after being inspired by a trip to London. Since then, she’s been busily planning her next mystery—and another trip!

 

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The Snow Job (Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – Fenwater, a fictional small town in the province of Ontario in Canada during the early 1980s.
Independently Published (December 13, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 310 pages

 

Synopsis

 

A Scottish shindig, a pretty pin, a cold corpse. When a well-liked and respected townsman is murdered on a snowy street in Fenwater, it’s up to Lois Stone to sift through a multitude of motives to find the killer.

Middle-aged widow Lois is beginning to feel part of the Fenwater community, and as winter sets in, she is getting ready for the town’s biggest Scottish event, the annual Burns Night supper. But when one of the committee members dies in suspicious circumstances, Lois has more to worry about than the fate of this year’s celebration. She tried unsuccessfully to revive the man and her friend Marge worked with him. So, they want to find his killer even though Lois promised her partner Bruce that she would stay out of police matters. But, what’s the harm in asking a few questions? Such as does someone want to safeguard their inheritance or give their business a boost? Will finding the motive for the murder lead them to the killer or maybe more?

And so begins a fortnight of slippery sidewalks, angst about ancestors, capable firemen and cunning firebugs, unreliable records, swirling Scottish music and swinging tartan kilts, calico cats and smouldering spooks set against the backdrop of snow glistening under streetlamps on serene streets, the comfort of ritual in a cold churchyard, the swish of skate blades in crisp night air and the tang of mouthwatering meatloaf in rural Canada in 1984.

The Century Cottage Mystery series is mainly set in rural Ontario, Canada during the early 1980s.

A tale for fans of Cindy Bell, Leighann Dobbs, Dianne Harman and Kathi Daley.

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Burns Night in Fenwater

 

 

Hello! Thanks for inviting me to drop in. I’m Dianne Ascroft and I write the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series. The books are set in Fenwater, a fictional small town in rural Ontario, Canada that was founded by immigrants from Scotland during the early 1800s. The residents of the town have a strong connection with its Scottish heritage and everything Scottish is important to them so the annual Burns Night supper is the biggest event on their calendar.

If you have any Scottish ancestry, you may have attended a Burns Night supper. But, for those who haven’t, what is it? A Burns supper is a celebration of the life and poetry of the Scottish poet Robert Burns or Rabbie Burns as he is more commonly known.

Burns Night is celebrated each year in Scotland and in Scottish communities worldwide to honour Rabbie Burns, and it has also become a chance to celebrate all things Scottish – sort of like St Patrick’s Day without the green beer. With Fenwater’s heritage, it’s only natural that Burns Night is a big event for them.

So, who was Rabbie Burns? He was a poet and song lyricist from Ayrshire in the southwest of Scotland, who was born on January 25, 1759. Only 37 when he died in 1796, he is regarded as the most prominent poet to have written in Scots, a UK regional dialect that is now recognised as a minority language. You probably know at least one of his works even if you are not familiar with Scottish poets. Does New Year’s Eve and “Auld Lang Syne” ring any bells for you?

Burns suppers are normally held on or near the poet’s birthdate, which has come to be known as Burns Night. The first Burns supper was held in 1801, and in the more than 200 years since then, new traditions have been added to the event, but the aim is the same: to pay tribute to Scotland’s national poet.

The first supper was a memorial dinner organised by nine of Burns’s friends on July 21, 1801, the fiftieth anniversary of his death. It was held at Burns Cottage in Ayrshire, where the poet was born. Although those present at the first supper didn’t foresee it, the supper has become an annual occurrence and Burns Clubs have been founded throughout Scotland and further afield.

Burns Night is steeped in respectful tradition but there are elements of fun and humour to the proceedings too. So, what happens at a Burns Night supper? There’s a traditional meal which consists of tatties (potatoes), neeps (turnips), and haggis, which was a favourite dish of the poet. Are you wondering what haggis is? Haggis is made from a sheep’s liver, lungs, and heart and mixed with suet and oatmeal. It may not sound particularly appetising to some of you, but it really is tasty – sort of like a spicier minced beef. There are also vegetarian versions available. Guests are piped in to the dining room and a Scottish grace is said. The haggis is then piped in with great ceremony and before the meal commences a guest recites Burns’ poem the ‘Address to a Haggis’, which extols how wonderful haggis is.

After the meal there are several toasts and speeches. The most important is the Immortal Memory, which is a speech commemorating Burns and his life followed by a toast to the poet.

The Address to the Lassies is a thank you to the women who prepared the meal, and in recent times, the speaker often includes humorous opinions about women in general. One of the women present makes the Reply to the Laddies, rebutting the comments made about women.

The evening is formal but fun with good food, good whiskey and good company.

Lois Stone, the main character in my Century Cottage Cozy mysteries series, has Scottish ancestry that she doesn’t really want to talk about but she can’t avoid the Scottish side of her town’s identity as she plays the bagpipes in the local pipe band. As The Snow Job, Book 3 in the series, opens the band is getting ready to play at the Burns Night supper and Lois is actually looking forward to the event. She’ll wear her band uniform, which includes a tartan kilt, to the supper and she will be surrounded by friends and neighbours as they toast the haggis and Burns’ memory. It’s the sort of event that really makes her feel like part of her community.

Preparations for the supper are going well until one of the Burns Night committee members dies in suspicious circumstances the week before the event. Lois’s friend Connie finds the victim lying in the snow and Lois rushes to help her, trying to revive him until the ambulance arrives. Although Lois is sad when she hears later that he died, she doesn’t expect to have any involvement in finding out what happened to him. But her friend Marge has other ideas. The victim volunteered at the museum where Marge works and she wants to see justice done for him. So, she urges Lois to help her find his killer. Lois is reluctant as she promised her partner Bruce that she would stay out of police matters. But Marge is persuasive and what’s the harm in asking a few questions? So, Lois puts aside all thoughts of preparing to perform at the Burns Night supper with the band and puts her energy into helping Marge find the killer. What could possibly go wrong?

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Dianne Ascroft writes the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries, set in rural Canada, and The Yankee Years historical sagas, set in WWII Northern Ireland. She has a passion for Ireland and Canada, past and present. An ex-pat Canadian, Dianne lives on a small farm with her husband and an assortment of strong-willed animals.

Her previous fiction works include An Unbidden Visitor (a tale inspired by Fermanagh’s famous Coonian ghost); Dancing Shadows, Tramping Hooves: A Collection of Short Stories (contemporary tales), and an historical novel, Hitler and Mars Bars, which explores Operation Shamrock, a little known Irish Red Cross humanitarian endeavor.

 

 

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Giveaway

 

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Synopsis

 

This book club is hooked on traveling into books to become the amateur sleuths! In this journey, the club travels to the Kingdom of Everglow.

The royal family is rocked to the core when a key staff member falls dead at a community event. In the turmoil that follows, any evidence of what happened is destroyed, so they must go by the recollection of witnesses who were too busy enjoying the celebration to offer any valuable testimony.

The royal family is further distressed when they return to the castle to see signs of a break in that somehow defied their complex security system. They wake the next day to discover that one member of the royal family has fallen into a deep, deathlike sleep.

Can the Snapdragon Inn Book Club uncover the plot behind this attack on the royal family? Can they find the antidote to wake the sleeping royal from a supernatural slumber? Can they bring peace back to the worried royal family and the frightened community?

Let’s hope they can, since they must solve the mystery and reach The End to get out of the book and back to their home in Colorado.

 

 

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Review

 

I love this series. It is unique with a story within a story. This book is no different than the previous five in regards to the basic principle of the story, but it is unique with the crime, the banter, and the setting of the mystery they are to solve.

The whole gang is together again. This time, they venture into a fantasy world filled with Sprites. I really liked the descriptions of these characters, their personalities, and how they were no different from humans. There are some quirky characters and a killer among them. It was fun to try and figure out who the killer might be since there are not a lot of clues, but there are a few if you know how to look for them.

We also learn more about Frank’s past and how he came to be a part of this magical library. His past becomes advantageous to the group in this new world. You will have to read the book to learn more about that, but it is revealed fairly quickly in the book.

I also liked how the characters spoke about the author and how authors may make mistakes in their books. I had a good chuckle from some of the conversations.

There are quite a few witty lines sprinkled throughout, so I had a good chuckle as well.

This has become a favorite series, and I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

We give this book 5 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages.

She simultaneously writes well-loved cozy mysteries: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.

Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.

 

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Synopsis

 

A ghost’s antics, a harrowing moose chase, a hypnosis session, and smuggled booze lead to spilled secrets and betrayal, but do they also lead to murder?

At a hot springs retreat in Montana, whiskey-swigging Maude, the nearly eighty-year-old chef, longs for the glory days when the retreat hosted martini-sipping celebrities instead of long-haired hippies who refuse to wear deodorant. Brooke, feisty, adventurous, and a bit reckless, proposes a reunion at the retreat with her best friends to get away from the chaos of her life with teenagers and the emotional aftermath of her postponed wedding. One of those friends, Tracy, has devoted her life to her children and her husband despite her excruciating boredom. But a long-held secret could cost her the most important friendships in her life. Haunting the place is a ghost who, in life, dealt with tragedy by turning to prostitution which led to her murder over 100 years ago at the very place they all are staying.

What Happens in Montana explores friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness with blunt truth and witty insights. Together, these friends learn to navigate empty nests, infidelity, deception, and poltergeists. Most importantly, they learn their friendship is strong enough to get them through it all.

 

 

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Review

 

This story blends friendship with a hint of mystery and a ghost!

Four women decide to take a weekend getaway to a hotel in Montana, in need of much repair. At least parts of it. But what they don’t anticipate is finding their true selves, uncovering some secrets, and making new friends.

This story is told from multiple points of view. This can get distracting, but it helps, especially when Simone, the ghost, is telling her story. I really enjoyed learning about her life and why she died and was stuck at this hotel. I really liked Maude. She has been at the hotel/retreat center for thirty years. That is a long time in one spot, but she loves it there and has a connection with Simone. She may not know why Simone is there or what she needs to move on, but she still feels a connection to her. Then, there are the four women who came to this retreat to reconnect. While they had met as younger women, they were spread out across the country now. There are secrets that come to light, and it is amazing how revealing those secrets freed the women up to be themselves and not in fear of the secret being revealed before the right time.

I enjoyed the story and can appreciate how this weekend away might impact their lives. There is a sideline story about Maude’s daughter who died and how Brooke reminds her of that daughter. But we are left hanging as to what happened to the daughter and how it impacted her marriage. I would have liked to have known more about that scenario. There is also a lothario at the hotel, Max. Let’s just say that Max is not who you think he is, and luckily, no one is hurt in their interactions with him.

This was a fun read, and we give it 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

 

Excerpt

 

I glanced at the bird-like woman who sat across from him and wondered how she kissed him with that facial hair. Didn’t it smell like whatever he ate? Or scratch her face? Didn’t errant hair ever tickle her nose and make her sneeze? Maybe they had been together so long that they didn’t really kiss much anymore. Just a peck hello and goodbye. I supposed I could handle facial hair if that was my only interaction with it.

“Hello, I’m Maude, and I’ll be taking care of you tonight. Can I get you anything to drink besides water?”

“Water is fine for me. Dear, what would you like?”

“Oh, I’d like sparkling water. One of those flavored ones, if you have it. Not one that has calories or sugar or anything. Just the essence of lime or tangerine or whatever. Do you know what I mean?” She looked at me with big, pleading eyes. I saw such hunger in those eyes. Lord, this woman needed a huge steak and a baked potato with butter and sour cream. Then she needed a good bottle of wine to go with it and a German chocolate cake to finish it all. This woman didn’t look as though she had been properly nourished and decades. But what I saw most in her eyes was that she had not allowed herself to live. She imposed such restrictions on her life – what to eat, what to wear, what friends to have, what church to attend, what car to drive, what words to say – that she forgot what she wanted. She forgot how to live. She was just going through the motions. She might as well already be dead.

I wanted to tell her to forget calories, forget working out at least five days a week, forget always needing to be a size zero, forget what others think, forget keeping her house perfectly in order, for surely this woman’s house was always in order, and throw all caution to the wind. Eat an entire gallon of ice cream while binge watching Grace and Frankie. Stay in your pajamas till noon and dance to Uptown Funk with the volume so loud the neighbors will call the police. Hike to the top of Boulder peak at dawn to watch the sunrise regardless of the animals you might encounter. Tell your husband to shave that nasty dead rat on his face and kiss him like you did when you were a teen teenager. Just don’t live like life will last forever.

Instead, I said, “Sure. We have lime, grapefruit, and coconut sparkling water.”

 

 

About the Author

 

Kim McCollum graduated from Barnard College as a Japanese major and headed to work on Wall Street. Many miserable all-nighters and the birth of her first child led her to stay home to raise her children. Eventually, she pursued her passion for writing. An excerpt from this novel appeared in The Copperfield Review Quarterly, and her short stories have appeared in The Dillydoun Review, Beyond Solace, and Fiction on the Web. She lives in Bozeman, MT, with her husband, Brian, and their blended menagerie of five kids, two dogs, and seven spoiled chickens. What Happens in Montana is her first novel.

 

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Ill-Fated Fortune: A Magical Fortune Cookie
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – California
Minotaur Books (February 20, 2024)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Jin grew up literally hanging onto Mom’s apron strings in their magical bakery in the quaint town of Pixie, California. Her mother’s enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, bring instant joy to all who consume them. Felicity has always been hesitant in the kitchen herself after many failed attempts, but a takeout meal gone wrong inspires her to craft some handmade fortune cookies.

They become so popular that Felicity runs out of generic fortunes and starts making her own personalized predictions. When one customer’s ill-fated fortune results in his murder, Felicity’s suspiciously specific fortune has the police focusing on her as the main culprit. Now Felicity must find a way to turn her luck around and get cleared from suspicion.

 

 

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Recipe

 

~Auspicious Almond Cookies~

 

Makes about 24 cookies, or 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1 ⅓ cups sifted all-purpose flour

⅝ cup white sugar

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup butter

1  egg

1 ½ tsp almond extract (1 tsp if less almond flavor is desired)

24 almond slices (sliced almonds)

 

Directions:

1. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together into a bowl. Cut in the butter (VERY important, don’t skip this) until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add the almond extract and half of the egg. Mix well. The dough will appear to be too crumbly in the beginning, but if you mix it long enough, it will get the right consistency (that’s why you only need half an egg).
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Set them 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Press down with your thumb to flatten each cookie slightly. Place an almond slice in the middle of each cookie.
4. Combine the other half of the egg and ½ tbsp water to make a light egg wash glaze. Cover the tops of the cookies with the glaze using a basting brush. You can adjust the amount of glaze used on each cookie depending on how much almond cookie shine you want.
5. Bake in oven until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.

 

Note: They taste even better the second day because the almond flavor has set in.

 

 

 

 

 

Review

 

This new series was a lot of fun to read, and the mystery left me hanging until the end because I had no idea who the killer could be, and there were not a lot of suspects to choose from! I did not suspect the killer since no motive was ever really established until it was revealed.

Felicity is coming into her own in the bakery her mother owns. They are a magical family and everything her mom bakes is infused with joy. It took Felicity a while to find her grove, but she finally does with fortune cookies. I thought it was neat that she could write fortunes specifically for a person. It takes her some time to uncover how to do it and control it.

I really liked her best friend, Kelvin, and her godmother, Alma. These are two characters that add character to the story. Kelvin is her partner in crime, and they find themselves in some sticky situations. There is even a bunny that appears, Whiskers, that might have magical abilities too. Only time will tell.

Not everything is smooth sailing for Felicity and her mom. Certain situations put them in a bit of a pickle. It causes a few hiccups for the bakery. Luckily, all works out in time.

I think this could be a good series, I look forward to reading more and depth added for the characters with more background.

We give this 4 paws up.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Jennifer J. Chow writes cozies with heart, humor, and heritage. Her newest series is the L.A. Night Market Mysteries. The first book, Death By Bubble Tea, was nominated for both an Agatha Award (Best Contemporary Novel) and a Lefty Award (Best Humorous Mystery). It hit the SoCal Indie Bestseller List multiple times and was one Aunt Agatha’s Best of Cozies 2022, Kings River Life Staff Favorites of 2022, and one of the 2022 Bestsellers at Bel Canto Books. It’s been featured in Book Riot, BookBub, Bustle, CrimeReads, Goodreads, and Mystery Scene Magazine. The New York Times Book Review said of the novel: “Yale and Celine’s growing loyalty to each other, coupled with the warmth of Chow’s prose, adds extra depth, just like the tapioca balls nestled in a glass of bubble tea.” Jennifer currently serves as President on the board of Sisters in Crime and regularly blogs at chicksonthecase.com. She is also an active member of Crime Writers of Color and Mystery Writers of America.

 

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Giveaway

 

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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Giveaway

 

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A Ghostly Clue (Pet Momma Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – The small town of Starport Cove and a suburb of the town called Bluffington Hills
Independently Published (December 15, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 151 pages

 

Synopsis

 

It’s the Christmas season in the charming small town of Starport Cove. But amid shopping for gifts, decorating, baking sugar cookies, and organizing the Christmas Bazaar, the discovery of a body is not the holiday event that anyone expected. When antique store owner Milton Cenford is found dead in a suit of armor, amateur sleuth Tarsey Quinston is determined to find the killer.

As quirky visitors arrive in town and create more questions than answers, Tarsey finds herself investigating rumors of a missing historic diary penned by a First Lady from Starport Cove and looking into paranormal activity.

Will the discovery of a mysterious hidden passageway and an encounter with a ghost lead Tarsey and her intuitive cat Silver down the path to danger? Or will they finally unveil the identity of the killer?

 

 

Amazon

 

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About the Author

 

Maryann Shanesy is a native of Maryland who has always enjoyed writing. A lifelong lover of mysteries and anything gardening, she is a pet momma to a rescue dog and cat that brightens her life. She and her husband have two wonderful daughters and live in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She hopes you will enjoy the second cozy mystery in her series.

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Giveaway

 

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Hammers and Homicide (A Hometown Hardware Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Oregon
Crooked Lane Books (January 16, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 280 pages

 

Synopsis

 

Perfect for fans of Kate Carlisle and Victoria Gilbert, when a body is found in a hardware store, will Dawna Carpenter’s sleuthing measure up to find the killer?

Recent sexagenarian widow Dawna Carpenter thought running her own hardware store after the death of her husband was hard enough. With her adult daughter, April, moving back into town, and Darlene, the annoying boutique owner next door to her shop poking around, Dawna has her hands full. But when she finds a dead man in the bathroom of her store, with a framing hammer by his side, she’s in way over her head.

The victim, Warren Highcastle, was a land developer who was looking to purchase the old theater in town to build a new hotel. Dawna and April, worried about the implications of the crime scene at the hardware store, put themselves on the case. They soon learn that Warren had made quite a few enemies in his short amount of time in town. As the suspect list starts growing, so too do the threats against Dawna and April. Can Dawna and April nail the killer before they strike again?

 

 

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Guest Post

 

Hello! I’m Dawna Carpenter, owner of Carpenter’s Corner Hardware in Pine Bluff, Oregon. What? You’ve never heard of Pine Bluff. I can’t say I’m surprised. When people think of Oregon, they envision Portland or the coast, but they don’t realize what a diverse state Oregon is. If you left Portland to drive here, you’re going to leave behind the lush rainforest feel of Western Oregon, then drive nearly four hours through the Columbia River Gorge and the plains before finally climbing into the Blue Mountains and meandering your way to our picturesque valley.

Wait a minute. Excuse me for a second.

Sorry, I’m back now. My author person rudely interrupted to inform me that Pine Bluff is a fictional town. That’s nonsense and I’m not going to listen to her negativity. Either way, real or imagined, Pine Bluff is a charming small town. My family moved here when I was only eight and it’s never crossed my mind to live anywhere else. Maybe that’s small minded of me, but I love my quirky little town. Bob, my late husband, and I raised our three children here, built two businesses and had a wonderful life. After Bob died, my oldest daughter wanted me to move in with her family over on the coast. But no, my roots are as firmly planted here as that big Elm tree in the front yard.

Besides the fact, I’m beginning to think Bob is still hanging around inside our big brick home. I can’t tell you how often his signature scent of sawdust and coffee swirl around the room, and I swear to you, occasionally he kisses me on the cheek. Plus, there’s Lilac. That sweet kitty crossed the rainbow bridge ages ago, but she’s been sleeping on my bed every night now for two weeks. If a cat spirit can comfort me with her presence, why not Bob?

And boy do I need comforting right now! Not that I can’t take care of myself. I can, for sure, but the other day a man was killed in the bathroom of my store. How crazy is that? I found his body, but better me than one of my customers. Now I’m worried that people will be too freaked out to shop in my store, and with that big box home improvement store that recently opened in the next town over, things could get dicey.

My daughter April and I are going to figure out who killed the poor man, though, and try to get things as back to normal as possible. I hate to point a finger, but there’s several Pine Bluffians I’m suspicious might’ve had something to do with the man’s demise. Oh, there’s April now. We have some snooping to do. I don’t want to keep her waiting, so I’ll cut this off and talk with you again soon.

 

 

Excerpt

 

I ended the call then reached into the cupboard for a glass and filled it with infused cucumber water from a pitcher in the refrigerator.

“See her where?” April filled another glass with cucumber water. “What’s going on?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know? Join the Women’s Service Club, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

I’d been trying to get April to join the organization ever since she’d taken over the decorating and furniture restoration side of my business, but so far, she’d refused.

“Whatever, Mom. I’m not ready to wear polyester pants and go to a meddling women’s meeting.” My daughter rolled her eyes and tapped her wrist like she was checking a watch. “At least not for another…oh, let’s see…twenty years.”

I threw my hands in the air and looked down at the pink-and-white striped T-shirt, cotton shorts, and denim shoes I wore. “Do you see polyester pants here? Don’t think so, missy.”

“No, but your meddling is showing. Better get it tucked back in.”

The two of us cracked up like a pair of cackling hens.

“Anyway, Evonne called an emergency meeting tonight. Without a feasible buyer for The Emery, we need to regroup and double our efforts to save the theater for Pine Bluff.”

“See? I knew I wouldn’t have to join your stuffy old ladies club to get the scoop. You can’t keep from talking about it.” April grinned. “But, seriously, it’s a good idea. What time’s your meeting?”

“Seven. Why? Are you coming with me?”

“Nope, not going with you. Will you stop, please?”

I laughed. “Never.”

“I think I’m going to head to the workshop and finish the dresser I’ve been working on. Maybe I’ll work until your meeting is over. It should give me a few hours to paint.”

Workshop was an overreaching word for the storage unit where April refinished and stored the pieces of furniture that were the heart of her business, Carriage House Designs.

“Do you think it’s wise to be there alone right now? You could stay here and bake those cupcakes you promised J.T.”

“It’s too hot to bake. I’ll do it tomorrow morning while it’s still cool. I’ll be as safe at my workshop as I’d be here by myself. Don’t worry. I’ll text J.T. to let him know where I’m at, okay? You need to do the same thing when you leave the house, and then text me when you’re heading back home from your meeting. Plus drive your Jeep. No walking tonight.”

“Deal, bossy cow.”

April and I pinky swore. There was no going back on our deal now. With a pinky swear, it was completely unbreakable.

“The meeting isn’t for several more hours, though. I have all afternoon to kill. Think I’ll turn on the air-conditioning unit in the sunroom and read for a bit after I start a load of laundry. It’s too hot to work in the garden right now.”

“Sounds perfect. And don’t say kill.” April glowered at me in jest before she turned to head outside.

I grabbed the dishtowel hanging on the stove doorhandle and snapped my daughter on the rear end before she made it outside.

“Oh, lady, you’re going to be mighty sorry you did that.” April let the screen door bang behind her for good measure. “Lock the door,” she called over her shoulder.

 

 

About the Author

 

When Paula Charles isn’t writing under the towering trees of the Pacific Northwest, she can be found in the garden with her hands in the dirt or sitting on her front porch with a good book and a glass of iced tea. She has a love for small towns, ghost stories, and pie. Paula lives on a small farm in Southwestern Washington with her patient husband and a handful of furry and feathered critters. Paula also writes cozy mysteries under the pen name of Janna Rollins.

 

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