To Fetch A Thief
Cozy Mystery Anthology
Light, humorous, dog-themed mysteries.
Bay Breeze Publishing, LLC (November 8, 2018)
Paperback: 278 pages

Synopsis

To Fetch a Thief, the first Mutt Mysteries collection, features four novellas that have gone to the dogs. In this howlingly good read, canine companions help their owners solve crimes and right wrongs. These sleuths may be furry and low to the ground, but their keen senses are on high alert when it comes to sniffing out clues and digging up the truth. Make no bones about it, these pup heroes will steal your heart as they conquer ruff villains.

Review

Short stories, dogs, and murder – what a great combination!

This book has four short stories that each have a dog or two in them.  I think my favorites were the first and the third story.

The first story centers around a dog walker and a client hiring her to do some sleuthing to find a missing necklace.  She is able to narrow down the suspects but a major twist is thrown in and surprises everyone, me especially!

The second is a young couple purchase a home where the couple just left.  The neighbors have some crazy stories to tell about the couple and the wife keeps finding things in the house that were left behind.  There are some crazy things that happen and while the story is good I wanted to know more about how the story ended.  I can’t say too much but let’s just say that this could have gone on for many more pages to maybe tie up the loose ends.

The third story has a couple of mysteries – where are the painted rocks going that represents the passing of some pets and who killed Sean?  Another story where I was surprised when the killer was revealed.  I think I had some ideas about this character but not many.

The last story feels like it is set in England based on some of the descriptions and it just has a more European feel.  The main character is a person of interest simply because a suspected weapon ends up in his bag.  This story is a bit more “formal” for lack of a better word.  I suppose you could say it is more of a police procedural.  I found it interesting that he named his dog after his former girlfriend.  Either a sign of love or craziness! There are plenty of clues to determine who the killer is but it is interesting how it all comes together in the end.

You can’t lose picking up this book especially if you love dogs and mysteries.

We give it 5 paws up.

About the Authors

Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Today, she doesn’t carry a rod like her idol, but she hotrods. She is president of Sister’s in Crime Mystery by the Sea Chapter and author of short mysteries in Virginia is for Mysteries and 50 Shades of Cabernet.

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Heather Weidner, a member of SinC – Central Virginia and Guppies, is the author of the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, Secret Lives and Private Eyes and The Tulip Shirt Murders. Her short stories appear in Virginia is for Mysteries series and 50 Shades of Cabernet. Heather lives in Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers, Disney and Riley. She’s been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. Some of her life experience comes from being a technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, IT manager, and cop’s kid. She blogs at Pens, Paws, and Claws.

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Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne is the author of the Blonds at the Beach Mysteries, The Blond Leading the Blond, and Blond Luck. She has contributed seven short mysteries to various anthologies to include joining with the other To Fetch a Thief authors in Virginia is for Mysteries, Volumes I and II, and 50 Shades of Cabernet.

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Rosemary Shomaker writes about the unexpected in everyday life. She’s the woman you don’t notice in the grocery store or at church but whom you do notice at estate sales and wandering vacant lots. In all these places she’s collecting story ideas. Rosemary writes women’s fiction, paranormal, and mystery short stories, and she’s taking her first steps toward longer fiction, so stay tuned. She’s an urban planner by education, a government policy analyst by trade, and a fiction writer at heart. Rosemary credits Sisters in Crime with developing her craft and applauds the organization’s mission of promoting the ongoing advancement, recognition, and professional development of women crime writers.

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Pineapple Upside Down Murder (The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
MYS ED llc (November 23, 2018)
Print Length: 130 pages

Synopsis

Introducing Jolie Tucker, an introverted yet passionate restaurant co-owner of Cast Iron Creations, who, at her best friend Ava’s request, steps out of her comfort zone which leads her into the shade of a killer in the small, cozy village of Leavensport, Ohio. The victim is the villages beloved Ellie Siler who runs the village sweet spot, Chocolate Capers. Jolie finds her grandma Opal is a prime suspect and goes on a search for answers only to find out that her families secret recipes may not belong to the Tucker family at all. Jolie’s job, family, and livelihood are all on the line. The answers are assuredly lethal.

Review

If you need a shorter cozy mystery to read on the go (in between appointments, etc) then this is one you might want to check out.  It has everything a full length cozy has but in 130 pages.

I always love a cozy that involves food and this is the first time I’ve seen one that centers around recipes that are cooked in a cast iron skillet.  (The recipes at the end look divine!)  Jolie is sort of a mess, I think she is an introvert so has problems talking to people or fitting in unless it is her family or best friend, Ava. Plus we get a peek into her past when it comes to her biological father and the emotional abuse he inflicted on Joie which has a lot to do with how she acts and reacts to people and situations.

Jolie and Ava have planned this restaurant since they were young children and are the best of friends and even live next door to each other.  They have a great relationship which hasn’t wavered even though Ava is in a relationship with Delilah – sometimes love interests get in the way of friendship.  Despite their friendship, there are some tense moments in several spots in the book but I’m not going to reveal why you’ll have to read the book and find out.

There is quite a cast of characters but even with the varied characters, I was able to deduce who is the killer.  I couldn’t tell you why, but something about this character’s actions and words clued me into their guilt.  Now that isn’t to say that a few other characters didn’t seem a bit suspicious.  There is also an attractive police detective that seems to have a thing for Jolie once they get past his initial brusqueness.

Overall a great start to a new series and 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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Check out the other blogs on this tour, some have #Giveaways!

December 6 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 6 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

December 7 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 7 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

December 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 8 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – GUEST POST, GIVEAWAY

December 9 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW, RECIPE

December 10 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 11 –Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST

December 12 – Handcrafted Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, GIVEAWAY

December 13 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST

December 14 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW, GIVEAWAY

December 14 – The Book Decoder – REVIEW

December 15 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

December 16 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER GUEST POST

December 16 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST

December 17 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – REVIEW

December 18 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

December 19 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

 

One Taste Too Many (A Sarah Blair Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (December 18, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

For culinary challenged Sarah Blair, there’s only one thing scarier than cooking from scratch—murder!

Married at eighteen, divorced at twenty‑eight, Sarah Blair reluctantly swaps her luxury lifestyle for a cramped studio apartment and a law firm receptionist job in the tired hometown she never left. With nothing much to show for the last decade but her feisty Siamese cat, RahRah, and some clumsy domestic skills, she’s the polar opposite of her bubbly twin, Emily—an ambitious chef determined to take her culinary ambitions to the top at a local gourmet restaurant . . .

Sarah knew starting over would be messy. But things fall apart completely when her ex drops dead, seemingly poisoned by Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp. Now, with RahRah wanted by the woman who broke up her marriage and Emily wanted by the police for murder, Sarah needs to figure out the right recipe to crack the case before time runs out. Unfortunately, for a gal whose idea of good china is floral paper plates, catching the real killer and living to tell about it could mean facing a fate worse than death—being in the kitchen!

Includes quick and easy recipes!

Review

I’m a cozy lover going back many years now and every now and then I am introduced to a new series that checks off all the boxes for me on what I expect – food/recipes, animals (prefer dogs but cats are ok), and many red herrings that keep me guessing until the very end.

Sarah Blair has a twin sister, Emily, that is a chef.  I’m in awe of Emily because I love to cook but could never be a chef.  Sarah is struggling to make it after her divorce from Bill.  Bill didn’t seem to give up much in the divorce, so Sarah is in a very small apartment with her ex-MIL’s cat, RahRah.  In a crazy turn of events after Bill is found dead is when all the craziness begins.  Sarah loses RahRah to Jane (Bill’s lover, girlfriend, partner?) and apparently, there is a trust that goes along with RahRah and a home in a carriage house that Sarah’s MIL lived in while alive.  So why is Sarah living in a tiny apartment with no income from the trust?  You guessed it in one, Bill is a slimeball and kept the money.

The author does a great job of throwing red herrings in your path.  I kept changing who I suspected but when the real murderer is revealed, I was shocked!  I did not see that one coming at all.  There are some other twists at the end about how Bill died which you might be able to figure out, but maybe not.  The clues are there but not all of them.

Definitely a series I plan to watch and we give it 5 paws up.

About the Author

Judge Debra H. Goldstein’s new Sarah Blair cozy mystery series debuts from Kensington Press debuts with One Taste Too Many. She also is the author of Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery and the 2012 IPPY Award-winning Maze in Blue. Besides novels, Debra writes short stories. Her short story, The Night They Burned Ms. Dixie’s Place, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine (May/June 2017) is an Agatha Award Short Story Nominee. In addition to being the Sisters in Crime Guppy President, Debra serves on the national Sisters in Crime board and is Vice-President of the Southeast Region of Mystery Writers of America.

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With a Little Bit of Blood (The Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
4th in Series
Grainger Press (April 15, 2018)
Paperback: 352 pages

Synopsis

In the fourth book from the Agatha Award nominated writing team of D.E. Ireland, famous literary characters Eliza Doolittle and Henry Higgins find they may have brought trouble with them when they attend a country house party in With A Little Bit of Blood.

Eliza is not happy when Higgins buys a snazzy roadster. Her misgivings prove correct when he becomes injured in a motor car crash. Forced to play nursemaid, Eliza is thrilled to accept an invitation to a house party from Lord Ashmore and his bride, the former Clara Eynsford-Hill. But upon their arrival at Banfield Manor, Eliza is dismayed to see her sweetheart Freddy arm in arm with a beautiful actress. Higgins is shocked to learn the woman who once stalked him is also attending the party. Things grow even worse when spiritualist Madame Evangeline arrives and warns of impending danger. Her prediction comes true when someone is killed during the following day’s shoot in the forest.

Higgins and Eliza suspect it wasn’t an accident, but murder. Every guest hides a dark secret that involved the dead man. But who hated him more? The French aviator, the American cinema actress, a lady novelist, the Austrian count, or a knighted explorer of the Amazon? Madame Evangeline’s séance may reveal what is really going on. But her cryptic words deepen the mystery, especially after another guest turns up dead.

Who is behind these murders? And has Higgins himself been targeted? As the day of the fox hunt begins, it seems likely that more than the fox will die. Before that happens, Eliza and the Professor must discover who may have a little bit of blood on their hands.

About the Author

D.E. Ireland is the pseudonym of long time friends and award-winning authors, Meg Mims and Sharon Pisacreta. In 2013 they decided to collaborate on a unique series based on George Bernard Shaw’s witty play Pygmalion, which also inspired the classic musical My Fair Lady. At work on Book Four of their Agatha nominated series, they also pursue separate writing careers. Currently, both of them write cozy mysteries for Kensington under their respective pen names: Sharon Farrow with her Berry Basket series, and Meg Macy with her Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear series. The two Michigan authors have patient husbands, brilliant daughters, and share a love of tea, books, and history.

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A Timeless Celebration (Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Self Published (October 25, 2018)
Print Length: 245 pages

 

Synopsis

 

A small town, a big party, a stolen gift. When an artefact from the Titanic is stolen before her town’s 150th anniversary celebration, it’s up to Lois Stone to catch the thief.

Middle-aged widow Lois has moved from bustling Toronto to tranquil Fenwater and is settling into her new life away from the dangers of the city. Then two events happen that shatter her serenity: her house is burgled and an antique watch belonging to a Titanic survivor is stolen from the local museum. Her best friend, Marge, was responsible for the watch’s safekeeping until its official presentation to the museum at the town’s 150th anniversary party, and its disappearance will jeopardise her job and the museum’s future. Lois won’t let her friend take the blame and the consequences for the theft. She’s determined to find the watch in time to save her best friend’s job, the museum’s future and the town’s 150th anniversary celebration.

And so begins a week of new friends, apple and cinnamon muffins, calico cats, midnight intruders, shadowy caprine companions and more than one person with a reason to steal the watch, set against the backdrop of century houses on leafy residential streets, the swirling melodies of bagpipes, a shimmering heat haze and the burble of cool water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Post

Why does it matter?

 

People often ask writers where the ideas for their stories come from. I don’t know exactly where the idea for A Timeless Celebration came from, but one day a quirky idea for where a stolen item could be hidden popped into my head and this got my imagination racing. I worked back from that idea to decide what the item was, why it was important, where it was stolen from, and how and why my main character, Lois Stone, would search for it and get it back. The plot for A Timeless Celebration evolved from that one random thought about where it might be possible to hide a stolen item.

As I constructed the plot, two of the most important things I had to figure out were what the stolen item was and why it was important. I wanted the item to be something historic and titbits of information that I uncovered during my background research convinced me that the item should be a watch that had survived the sinking of the Titanic. The idea began to take shape as I browsed online through the artifacts collection of the local museum in the place that inspired my fictional town, Fenwater, hoping to find an item that would be suitable for the stolen item in the story.

 

 

I was excited to stumble across a pocket watch that was labeled as a possession of a Titanic survivor. But I felt a quick let down when I read the detailed description of the item and discovered that the survivor had owned the watch later in life and it had not been aboard the ill-fated ship. The watch lost its significance for me. But, although this item did not have the historical significance I had hoped for, it got me thinking and I knew that the stolen item in my story should be an artifact from the Titanic.

 

 

Although it’s more than a century since the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, people are still fascinated by the tragedy and artifacts that have been recovered from the ship are prized.

My research revealed that since the Titanic’s resting place was discovered in 1985, several salvage operations have retrieved a huge number of artifacts from the seabed around the wreck. In fact, so much has been amassed that Guernsey’s Auctioneers & Brokers in New York, in a controversial auction, sold more than 5000 items estimated to be worth $190 million in a single lot in 2012. Included in the sale were watches, jewelry, clothing, a cook’s hat, binoculars, tableware and much more. The lack of light and air on the ocean floor, as well as the fact that goods were made to be durable a century ago, goes a long way to explain why so many of these items have survived in the depths of the ocean for so long.

A Timeless Celebration is set in 1983, before the Titanic’s resting place had been discovered, so there were fewer artifacts in existence at the time and they were rare and valuable.

But why did I choose a watch as the stolen item? When A Timeless Celebration is set, the artifacts in existence were items retrieved from the water near the wreckage when the ship sank, the personal possessions of survivors, and personal items found on the recovered bodies of victims. Of the many types of items that have survived the shipwreck, I think one of the most poignant is the pocket watch, a personal item that was often engraved and spanned the social classes. They were recovered from many bodies, including a wealthy businessman, John J Astor; second class passenger and Cornwall native John Chapman, who was traveling to America to start a new life with his bride, and third class passenger Mary Mangan from Addergoole parish, Ireland.

 

 

Pocket watches consist of many tiny components which can easily be damaged by rough use and the oil that greased the internal mechanism was prone to freeze at very low temperatures. So many of these watches stopped when their owners were thrown into the ocean as the ship sank. When the watches were recovered their hands still displayed the time they stopped, providing a chilling reminder of the tragedy.

 

 

After reading about some of the individual tragedies associated with these items, a pocket watch that had survived the sinking of the Titanic seemed the right choice for the artifact that would be central to my novel’s plot. It’s small and easy to conceal, which would make its theft practicable and it’s an item that has huge emotional significance. So an antique lady’s pocket watch became the starting point for A Timeless Celebration.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Dianne Ascroft is a Torontonian who has settled in rural Northern Ireland. She and her husband live on a small farm with an assortment of strong-willed animals.

A Timeless Celebration is the first novel in the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries series.

Her previous fiction works include The Yankee Years series of novels and short reads, set in Northern Ireland during the Second World War; 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 endeavour.

Dianne writes both fiction and non-fiction. Her articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and newspapers. When she’s not writing, she enjoys walks in the countryside, evenings in front of her open fireplace and folk and traditional music.

 

 

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Slay Bells (A Christmas Village Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
Brand New Series
Better Mousetrap Books (November 23, 2018)
Print Length: 273 pages

Synopsis

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the village, the night settled in over swirling-smoke chimneys; the air was alive with pine and holly, with sugar and cinnamon and cider, by golly!

Along snowy lanes and through shadows it crept, past windows behind which each villager slept, where sleeping dogs lie and cats rest a’purring—

Tonight, in Christmas Village, a killer is stirring.

Welcome to Christmas Village, a magical hamlet where even in December the roses hold their luster and bees buzz among the bluebells. You’re just in time for the week-long Christmas Festival, and nowhere is Christmas celebrated with such unrestrained merriment as the village which bears its name. Mayor Cobblestone and Sheriff Fell will be somewhere nearby, doing all they can to make sure you’re safe during your stay.

Provided you haven’t booked a room at Plum Cottage.

Nestled betwixt an opulent garden with meandering footpaths and an ancient grove of plum trees, Rose Willoughby’s boarding house is plum-full with lodgers. There are no vacancies, but just wait. Soon there will be one…and another…and another.

Presently lodging at the cottage are: the juggler, the acrobat, the magician, the psychic, the strongman, the manager, and the pretty assistant. In town as festival entertainment they’ve each brought their own bag of tricks. And a closetful of skeletons.

When the entertainers begin dying in inexplicable ways, some villagers believe a beast from old village lore is the culprit. The sheriff knows better, but he’s just as helpless to catch the invisible killer as are the town folk with their eyes to the sky in search of a flying creature. But our mysterious murderer hasn’t counted on yet another lodger coming to the cottage: Maribel Claus.

Short as a stump, round as a wheel, sweet as a candy cane, and a sharp as a whip, Maribel loves a good puzzle. But has she finally met her match at Plum Cottage?

Can you figure out whodunit before Maribel does? If you’re up to the challenge, here’s your first clue—the key to unlocking the secret of the murderer’s identity lies in figuring out how the murders were committed. Good luck!

Review

This Christmas town has a lot going for it and its citizens until a murder occurs.  Then it is Maribel Claus on the case to help solve the mystery before the town sheriff – after all isn’t that how all cozies go?!

The writing and the setting reminded me a bit like Agatha Christie’s settings and characters.  Some might call it a Golden Age setting.  Plum Cottage and Maribel’s friend Rose, are the scene of the alleged murder and the curious boarders from the troupe visiting the town during its festival and entertaining everyone, but could one of them be a murderer?

This is the first book from this author that I have read but I was riveted by this town and the quirkiness that was the essence of the characters.  I also enjoyed the folklore rolled into the story, it added a nice touch but of course what Dr. Pontifex claims to see can easily be explained by Maribel, or at least her supposition.  I’ll leave it at that and you’ll have to read the book to understand how it plays out.

There were some clues that I picked up on but I still wasn’t sure how it all tied together until the all was revealed.  This is usually what happens with me – I might guess the culprit but never know the why.

I think this could be an interesting series and I give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

T.C. Wescott was born in Missouri but has lived in Oklahoma most of his life. Like pretty much every author who has ever breathed, he is an avid reader. His favorites are classic mysteries from the Golden Age, as well as just before or just after that period (which is widely considered the period between the two World Wars). His first mystery novel, Running from Scissors, was published in July 2018 and will be the first of at least three books in the Running Store Mystery series.

The Christmas Village Mystery series will launch in November of the same year with the debut title Slay Bells. The formula for his books is simple – mixing the classic, traditional detective fiction standards with all the trappings of the modern cozy mystery.

Wescott is also (under another name) the author of two award-winning non-fiction books as well as a slew of essays and articles.

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Tandem Demise: A Cycle Path Mystery
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Independently Published (October 28, 2018)
Paperback: 298 pages

 

 

Synopsis

 

Smugglers on the hunt, a police chief on the run, lost loot and a dead wedding planner have the Mackinac Island regulars riding in circles

After solving two murders, bike shop owner Evie Bloomfield thought life on Mackinac Island would settle into boredom until she finds out Nate Sutter, island police chief and once-upon-a-time under cover cop is on the run. Some badass guys from Nate’s Detroit days think he stole money from them in a champagne smuggling operation and now they’re headed to the island to get their loot. Evie is determined to help Nate because he’s a good cop, Nate is determined to keep interfering Evie and island locals out of harms way, and the crooks are determined to get their money.

To add to the island’s problems there’s a dead guy on the dock and the new wedding planner is more interested in playing bedroom bingo than ordering bridal bouquets.
With the help of Fiona, Evie’s BFF and local newspaper editor, Evie is determined to prove Nate innocent, figure out how champagne smuggling, bodies on the dock and a bad wedding planner are tied together and not wind up taking a long walk off a short pier herself.

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Duffy Brown loves anything with a mystery. While others girls dreamed of dating Brad Pitt, Duffy longed to take Sherlock Holmes to the prom. She is a National Bestselling author and now conjures up who-done-it stories of her very own. She has two series the Consignment Shop Mysteries set in Savannah along with rescue pup Bruce Willis and the Cycle Path Mysteries set on Mackinac Island with judgmental cats Cleveland and Bambino.

 

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Eggs on Ice (A Cackleberry Club Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
8th in Series
Berkley (December 4, 2018)
Hardcover: 304 pages

Synopsis

Some say that casting crusty attorney Allen Sharpe as Scrooge in the Kindred Players production of “A Christmas Carol” is just playing to type. He’s not the most beloved man in town. In fact, you’d have a dickens of a time finding someone who liked him. Still it’s a shock when the Ghost of Christmas Past stabs him during the first rehearsal. Suzanne, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club café, Kindred’s favorite combination diner, craft store and bookshop, chases the murderer out of the building but loses him in the alley.

As the days pass the list of suspects grows longer. Is it the disgruntled partner? The former secretary whom Sharpe sexually harrassed? Or is it fellow owner of the Cackleberry Club, Toni’s almost ex-husband, Junior? The women of the Cackleberry Club are determined to find the killer before he can add another victim to his Christmas list.

An interview with Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author of Eggs on Ice

Today I am blessed to have Laura Childs here answering the tough questions!  She even shares a recipe with us, so make note of it because it sounds delicious.

Tell us a little bit about Eggs on Ice, your newest mystery.

As the Kindred Players hold their dress rehearsal for A Christmas Carol, a ghost wafts onstage and murders the star of the show. Suzanne Dietz, co-owner of the Cackleberry Club, rushes after this spooky specter but loses him when he escapes into a snowstorm. Suzanne vows to solve this murder and ends up juggling multiple suspects, holiday tea parties, a second murder, and a devastating fire. True to character, she also maintains her good humor (yes, this book is funny!) and keeps her romance sizzling with the town doctor. In the tradition of all my previous cozy mysteries, I give my readers a solid culinary fix with lots of delicious details on breakfast egg entrees as well as menus for a couple of fancy holiday tea parties.

Laura, I know you always include recipes in your books. Which ones are in Eggs on Ice?

I put in some really fun, tasty recipes like Crabby Crab Cakes, Slow-Cooker Sweet-and-Sour Pork, Elvis French Toast, Pumpkin Breakfast Casserole, and Church Basement Funeral Bars.

Who does most of the cooking in your house? And with your busy writing schedule (three different mystery series), how do you find time to cook?

I do the cooking and there really isn’t any time. So I tend to do lots of baked chicken with vegetables as well as stews and chowders that can be tossed together early on and then simmered all day.

What are your favorite foods?

I love sushi. I could eat it morning, noon, and night. In fact, I did when my husband and I visited Japan for two weeks. Also, I adore all shellfish – oysters, lobster, crab, shrimp, etc. And I’m afraid I am a chocoholic.

You also write the Tea Shop Mysteries and New Orleans Scrapbooking Mysteries. Do you include cooking in those books as well?

Absolutely. The Tea Shop Mysteries are the perfect vehicle for tea party menus, scone recipes, and food events such as winery tastings, food trucks, and fancy parties. In fact, Theodosia, my protagonist, is always coming up with new tea blends, scone ideas, and savory lunches. The Scrapbooking Mysteries are set in New Orleans which is an incredibly foodie town. So we’re talking fried oysters, stuffed artichokes, etouffee, jambalaya, and beignets. And my characters are always popping in and out of restaurants such as Commander’s Palace, Antoines, and Brennan’s.

What book are you working on now?

I’m currently writing two books. Lavender Blue Murder is a Tea Shop Mystery with a 2020 release date and Cadmium Red Dead is a New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery with a 2021 release date. (Yes, I tend to work waaay ahead of schedule.)

Do you have a favorite recipe to share with us?

I thought you’d never ask. Here’s the top secret recipe for Church Basement Bars, those chewy, crunchy dessert bars that everybody loves!

Church Basement Funeral Bars
a bonus recipe from Eggs on Ice

1/3 cup melted butter
1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cup dates, cut up
1 cup candied cherries, cut up
1 cup candied pineapple, cut up
1 cup pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In bowl, combine melted butter with the graham cracker crumbs. Pat crumb mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Then press each ingredient, in a single layer, on top of the crumbs, starting with the coconut flakes. Then press on the dates, then cherries, then pineapple, then pecans. Cover the entire dessert with the sweetened condensed milk. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Yields 15 to 18 bars.

 

About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries – set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries – set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

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Giveaway

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Violet Tendencies (A Rose City Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (November 27, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

Who could object to a flower festival?

Britta Johnston and her aunt Elin are delighted that their Portland floral boutique is part of the city’s Rose Festival, which draws thousands to the Pacific Northwest for dragon boat races, fireworks, and other attractions—capped off by a big parade. They’re building a float that’s sure to rock the judge’s boat . . . until a gang of angry protestors shows up. The group, who call themselves Dark Fusion, are decidedly not into flower power, and they want to take down the system . . . including the upcoming extravaganza.

Then their leader is strangled with a garland of violets—and Britta finds the body. With tensions running high and so much at stake, there are plenty of suspects, from the Grand Marshal to a longtime volunteer to a former Rose Queen. But before Britta and Elin can stem the violence, the case is going to get even more explosive . . .

Guest Post

We are very excited to have author Kate Dyer-Seeley with us today sharing a bit about her newest book, Violet Tendencies.

Thanks so much for having me today! I’m thrilled to get to share the 2^nd book in the Rose City Mysteries, Violet Tendencies with you. The book is set during Portland, Oregon’s annual Rose Festival. Portland (where I grew up) is also known as the Rose City thanks to the fact that roses bloom prolifically in the spring and summertime. Portland has one of the longest growing seasons for rose in the country. Buds first start to appear in April and can last through October. Locals and visitors can experience Portland’s rose splendor at the International Rose Test Garden where there are over ten-thousand rose bushes and four-hundred unique styles. The best part, the garden is free!

The other way to experience Portland’s abundance of roses is to visit during Rose Festival. The annual event is a celebration of all things rosy. It begins in June as navy ships line the waterfront on the Willamette River and a city fair takes over the park. From a starlight run and fireworks to dragon boat races and the Rose Queen’s coronation there is something for everyone. The highlight of Rose Festival is always the Grand Floral Parade. I remember watching the parade as a kid and being dazzled by the elaborate floats that I didn’t realize at the time were entirely constructed of flowers.

In Violet Tendencies floral artist, turned amateur sleuth, Britta Johnston is over the moon to have been picked to design the signature float. However, her excitement quickly fades when she realizes that between hand-crafting strands of dainty violets, she’ll have to hunt down a killer on Portland’s festive streets.

I hope that in addition to a page-turning mystery, you’ll get a taste of life in the Pacific Northwest. If you have a chance to make a trek to Portland for Rose Festival, I highly recommend it. And, if not. Don’t worry. You’ll get a first-hand look at the blooming city through Britta’s eyes.

Happy reading!

~Kate

About the Author

Kate Dyer-Seeley writes the Pacific Northwest Mystery Series for Kensington Publishing, featuring a young journalist, Meg Reed, who bills herself as an intrepid adventurer in order to land a gig writing for Northwest Extreme. Only Meg’s idea of sport is climbing onto the couch without spilling her latte.

She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and son, where you can find her hitting the trail, at an artisan coffee shop, or at her favorite pub. Better yet—at all three.

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Giveaway

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The Body in the Attic
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Lyrical Underground (November 27, 2018)
Paperback: 218 pages

Synopsis

Welcome to River Bluffs, Indiana, a cozy small town populated with charming homes, close-knit families, and the occasional deadly secret . . .

House-flipper Jazzi Zanders and her cousin Jerod have found their latest project. The property, formerly owned by the late Cal Juniper, is filled with debris that must be cleared before the real renovation begins. But a trip to the attic reveals something more disturbing than forgotten garbage—a skeleton wearing a locket and rings that Jazzi recognizes . . .

Tests confirm that the bones belong to Jazzi’s aunt Lynda, who everyone assumed moved to New York years ago after breaking up with Cal. Soon enough, the whole family is involved, sifting through memories and rumors as they try to piece together what really happened to Lynda—and the baby she gave up for adoption. In between investigating and remodeling, Jazzi is falling for the old house’s charms—and for her gorgeous contractor, Ansel. But with surprises lurking in every nook and cranny, a killer might be waiting to demolish her dreams for good . . .

About the Author

Judi Lynn received a Master’s Degree from Indiana University as an elementary school teacher after attending the IPFW campus. She taught 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades for six years before having her two daughters.  She loves gardening, cooking and trying new recipes.

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